Arsenal's head coach Mikel Arteta has declared that any conflict with Brighton's manager Fabian Huerzeler is firmly in the past.
Speaking to the press, Arteta confirmed he accepted Huerzeler's apology ahead of their upcoming Premier League encounter.
Following their match in March, Huerzeler had openly criticised Arsenal's tactics, accusing them of time-wasting during corner kicks. The Brighton boss later reached out to Arteta with an apologetic message.
"It's all finished. That is behind us now. I have great respect for Fabian and what Brighton have achieved as a club," Arteta said during the press conference.
Arteta expects a tough match
Arsenal will head to Brighton following an impressive run of three consecutive away victories — triumphs over Napoli in the Champions League, Sunderland in the Premier League, and Ipswich in the League Cup.
This is set to be Arsenal's fourth consecutive away game.
"We are preparing for a very challenging opponent. We need to earn the right to win," Arteta remarked.
The Spaniard emphasised his desire to see the same level of dominance from the team, regardless of whether they are playing at home or away.
"This is one of the difficulties of the calendar, and the team has been responding so well, playing with such dominance. It doesn't matter if we are home or away; we want to create the same problems for our opponents," he added.
A victory over Brighton would see Arsenal claim a fifth consecutive win in the Premier League and maintain their perfect start to the title defence.
Arteta close to contract extension
Following Saturday's match, there will be an international break lasting three weeks. British media speculate that Arteta could negotiate a new contract with Arsenal during this time.
His current deal runs through to 2027.
Arteta hinted at mutual interest in extending their partnership:
"I believe we are fully aligned… We share the same ambitions and desires, so when we find the time, we will sort this out," he said.
Four defenders' fitness in doubt
Ahead of the match, Arsenal's medical staff will assess the fitness of Christian Mosquera, Jurriën Timber, Ben White, and Piero Hincapie. All four missed the League Cup tie against Ipswich.
"We will have one more training session. They all want to participate, and we need to make sure they are ready," Arteta added.
