Mikel Arteta has brushed off the growing debate around Arsenal’s playing style, insisting the criticism is only coming from a “very small minority”. The comments came after a weekend where the Gunners once again had to grind out a result, needing an 80th-minute goal from substitute Noni Madueke to edge past Nottingham Forest.
(Image Credits: BBC Sport)
Winning, But Not Scoring Freely
The numbers tell a curious story. Arsenal have won 10 out of 11 games this season and lost just once, yet the goals have dried up. It was only their 11th goal in seven Premier League games, and they have struggled to break down teams that sit in deep defensive blocks.
Goalkeeper David Raya says the players are unfazed by the “boring” label: “At the end of the day, we have lost one game in 11 this season and if you call that boring or irritating, I don’t know what to say,” he said. “We enjoy playing football. We enjoy going out there every single day to win football matches, and that’s the most important thing.”
A Different Story From Last Season
Last year, Arsenal won the Premier League title and reached the Champions League final by conceding the fewest goals and scoring the most from set-pieces. This season they have yet to register a single set-piece goal in any competition. Arteta, though, sees the bigger picture: “The story is completely different to last year. We have scored so many goals, we have more possession, more shots, different players participating.”
The Spaniard admitted there is room for improvement against deep-lying defences — “The low block demands a different kind of game to the high block” — with Bayern Munich visiting in the Champions League on Wednesday. Arsenal remain top contenders on every front, criticism or not.
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Source: BBC Sport — read the full story there.
