Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler responds to cryptic Enzo Maresca snub amid feud rumours after securing second win over Chelsea in a week

After losing 2-1 to Brighton in the FA Cup fourth round last weekend, Chelsea went down once against the Seagulls in the Premier League on Friday. Yankuba Minteh scored a brace and Kaoru Mitoma scored one as Hurzeler's side registered a thumping 3-0 victory at Amex Stadium.

Before the Premier League clash, Blues boss Maresca had avoided complimenting his Brighton counterpart. At his pre-match press conference, the Italian was asked if Hurzeler "is a top manager?" but he chose to dodge the question by ending the session. Hurzeler, however, replied to a question related to Maresca as he refuted claims of having a problem with the 45-year-old.

Speaking to reporters, the 31-year-old German coach said: "No, no, I respect him. He's doing a great job, he's a great manager, and for me, it's always good to compete with the best managers, and therefore I always respect everyone and everyone's opinion."

The west London side will be next seen in action on February 22 as they take on Aston Villa in a difficult Premier League away fixture.