Hurzeler disappointed Albion didn't beat Arsenal

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Head coach reflects on Saturday's 1-1 draw.

Bruce Talbot

2025-01-04T20:45+00:00

Fabian Hurzeler's team took a point against Arsenal on Saturday night. 📷 by Paul Hazlewood.

Fabian Hurzeler admitted he was disappointed Albion didn’t take all three points after their second-half revival against Arsenal.

Trailing 1-0 at the break, Albion fought back after the break and equalised through skipper Joao Pedro’s penalty before going close to grabbing a winner. Instead, a sixth draw in eight games means we stay tenth in the Premier League table.

The head coach said, “We didn’t start intensely enough and weren’t in the game for the first 15-20 minutes. It changed after their goal and in the second half we created chances, played with intensity and were dominant. In general, we had the bigger chances and we’re disappointed not to leave the pitch as the winner.

“We lost too many personal duels in the first half so in the second half we made changes and went more vertical, the players who came in did well but the players already on the pitch changed their mentality.

Georginio Rutter fires up the Amex crowd after Joao Pedro's equaliser. 📷 by Paul Hazlewood.

“If you want to beat a team like Arsenal, one good half can be enough but we have to play more consistently like we did in the second half – we have to be better physically and mentally, to start differently and play a game the way we want to play with intensity for 90 minutes.”

Asked about the penalty, given for a foul by William Saliba, Hurzeler said, “It was a clear penalty, he’s just too late [with the challenge].”

The head coach also explained why Kaoru Mitoma was used a substitute for the second game in a row.

“He has played a lot of games in the first half of the season and for Japan, with a lot of travelling," he added.

"He felt a bit tired but he always has a big impact when he comes into the game and I’m sure he will be back as a starter soon. It is good to have competition and for every player to recognise that you have to do well in games and training to deserve to play.”