Premier League pacesetters Arsenal are reacquainting themselves with life at the top. This includes addressing the ongoing debate among England’s elite about how they are achieving success.
Mikel Arteta’s side are facing fresh criticism over their style of play, particularly their emphasis on set-piece goals. Liverpool’s Arne Slott is among those who have doubts about relying on dead-ball situations, urging the former Gunner to defend his old club. On a brighter note, there are whispers that more new signings are on the horizon at the Emirates, while one of Arteta’s old adversaries has compared Arsenal to his old team. Express Sport breaks down the latest headlines from north London as the Gunners prepare for Saturday’s trip to Burnley.
Arne Slot’s ‘Satanic’ Jive
While Arsenal players may be indifferent to how their goals are scored, the wider football community is keen to discuss the club’s recent successes. This has led to considerable scrutiny of set-piece tactical preferences.
Manager Nicolas Jobar has greatly strengthened this aspect of Arsenal’s game, which is not to the liking of many in the sport. That includes Liverpool manager Slott, who appears to have tried to downplay the importance of Arsenal’s set-piece threat.
When asked about the team’s weakness from set-pieces, Slott recently said: “If you were to tell me that we concede 40 per cent of our goals from set pieces and that the number one team in the league has scored 60 per cent of their goals from set pieces and we’re still one point behind them, you’d probably think, ‘That’s not that bad!’
The comment appeared to be yet another subtle jab at Arsenal’s set-piece ability. The Dutchman highlighted Arsenal’s strength in this department last season, telling reporters: “Nine times out of 10,[Arsenal]do the same thing.”
However, former Arsenal player Anders Rimpals has taken exception to these comments while defending his former club. And the Swede believes Mr Slott’s latest criticism is wide of the mark.
“That’s just an excuse. As an opponent’s coach, I can’t say that,” he told Hajipah. “It doesn’t really matter how you win the games as long as you win them. In the long run you have to play against all the best teams. To be criticized for whether you score from a set piece or not is atrocious in my opinion.”
“Let’s look back at the last four years and look at what City did or didn’t do or what Liverpool did or didn’t do. After all, they’ve all certainly won miserably here and there. Arne Slott has to deal with losing the last four league games on the fly. It’s not normal for them.”
“Now they suddenly have this setback and as a manager you have to deal with that, especially at a top club in the Premier League. That’s normal. I don’t like players who make excuses. I don’t like managers who make excuses either.”
Applicable to 2 new contracts
Extending Bukayo Saka’s contract remains Arsenal’s top priority at the Emirates. However, after completing negotiations with Saka, it was revealed that the club were fast-tracking two further deals.
The acclaimed winger’s current contract runs until the summer of 2027. After 12 months, both Declan Rice and Julian Timber’s contracts will expire under existing terms.
Rice’s contract includes an option for an additional year, which Arsenal will almost certainly trigger if things don’t change by 2028. Despite this, the BBC revealed that Arsenal are determined to prevent both players from reaching the end of their current contracts.
Manager Andrea Berta has played a leading role in negotiations and has already secured new terms for Gabriel Magalhães, William Saliba, Miles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri this season. The former Atletico Madrid manager will be hoping to replicate his success in order to strengthen Arsenal’s core in the near future.
Stoke comparison “compliments”
When it came to Arsenal’s set-piece tactics, it was inevitable that Tony Pulis would come in at some point. The manager who championed long throw-ins at elite level and turned Rory Delap into a cult hero drew parallels between today’s Arsenal and his former Stoke City team.
Pulis, 67, never forgot his penchant for deft set-piece routines and often delighted in frustrating first-team teams through this approach. As a result, the Welshman is proud to have seen the English club most traditionally associated with glamorous football adopt similar tactics.
“Like me, he[Arteta]recognizes how important clean sheets are and he also recognizes that many of last year’s games were draws,” he wrote in a column for the BBC. “So he looked for a way to turn a draw into a win.
“More than 20% of non-penalty goals scored in the Premier League last season were from corners or free-kicks, so Arteta probably looked at those stats and thought that if we can get some of that and add to our strength, we have a good chance of being a winning team.”
If Arsenal can end their 22-year drought and win a Premier League double, Arteta and his team won’t have to worry about how they score. Pulis expressed “nothing but respect” for Arteta, who refused to limit his tactical options just to maintain a particular style.
“That’s another reason why I have nothing but respect for Arteta, because he just looked at everything at the time and thought, ‘You know, that can help us’,” he added. “Manager[Arsene]Wenger is probably shaking his head at what Arsenal are doing, but I know Arteta takes the comparison to Stoke as a compliment, and so do other Premier League managers who are doing the same.”
