Arsenal have been accused of "killing" the Premier League with "boring" tactics under manager Mikel Arteta. The Gunners currently sit top of the Premier League table, three points clear of nearest challengers Manchester City, but have come under fire for their use of set-pieces and long throws, which are now being copied by other teams in the English top flight.
Premier League 'like watching non-league'
Arsenal have made a habit of scoring goals from set-pieces this season, while their dogged defending means the Gunners have the joint best defensive record in the Premier League, with only three goals conceded. However, their performances have been criticised by former Tottenham star and pundit Jamie O'Hara. He has told Sky Sports News that he is not enjoying watching Arteta's men play the beautiful game and feels their influence is being felt across the league.
"I can’t stand it, I hate it. It’s killing the game, especially the Premier League, the product," he said when asked about long throws. "It’s like watching non-league at the moment, some of the football I’m watching. Spurs at the weekend: territory football, head it out, [Kevin] Danso comes up, gets the towel out and starts throwing… It’s so one-dimensional.
"I get it, some of the lesser teams like Brentford, if you’ve got a long throw then it can cause problems and maybe create a chance. But the top teams doing throw-ins? I can’t believe what I’m watching. It’s all down to Arsenal, Arsenal started this. Arsenal started the long throw, the set-pieces. They’ve killed the Premier League in terms of fluid football and enjoyable football."
AdvertisementGetty Images SportArsenal accused of 'killing' the Premier League
O'Hara has gone even further and criticised Arteta's tactics, claiming the Premier League is now "boring" and lamenting the fractured nature of matches in the top flight as teams look for set-piece opportunities.
"What do you get from a long throw-in? You pack the box out, you throw it and you might get a flick-on or create a chance. But it’s so boring to watch and it’s so non-league. This is the Premier League we’re talking about and you’re meant to be the best of the best," he added. "I can understand it every now and then or in the last five minutes of the game, you want to get the ball in the box and cause a bit of chaos. But every time we’re looking at long-throws: stop, start, stop, start. What happened to getting the ball down, moving it quick, crosses in the box, getting to the byline? Thomas Frank has been doing it at Spurs and I don’t like that. I’m not a fan of it and I think it’s killing the Premier League."
Arteta responds to critics of Arsenal's style
Arsenal ran out 4-0 winners against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday night in an impressive showing. The Arsenal boss spoke out after the match and hit back at critics of his team's style. He told reporters: "This is more about the result of the game. The way we prepare the matches is always to try to help the opponents as much as possible, as frequently as possible, putting the players that we believe have the best capacity and qualities to do it from the beginning. And then this is football, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Today we were extremely efficient, which is key in this competition, and I'm really happy."
Getty ImagesArsenal to end wait for Premier League title?
Arsenal have started the season well and will hope they can finally end their long wait for a Premier League trophy. Arteta's side have finished as runners-up in the last three seasons but a summer of major investment, which saw players such as Viktor Gyokeres, Martin Zubimendi, Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke arrive, means they will be expected to seriously challenge for top spot this time around. The Gunners may have received their fair share of criticism at the start of the campaign, but they won't care if it yields results and trophies in May.
