Arsenal have become one of the most effective Premier League teams from set-pieces under Mikel Arteta, but the Gunners have faced criticism from many of their rivals.
Piero Hincapie in action against former team Bayer Leverkusen (Image: Getty Images)
Arsenal star Piero Hincapie insists he doesn’t care about the criticism his side are facing over their style as long as they secure the Premier League title. The Gunners have been one of the most effective teams at the top level from set-pieces in recent seasons.
This approach has proven to be very effective, with Arsenal at the top of the table, seven points clear of Manchester City. Despite this, their more physical style has been criticized and some remain unconvinced.
But Hincapie, signed on loan from Bayer Leverkusen, hit back. “We pay attention to the details. Our set-piece strength has been talked about all over Europe. It’s a result of our daily training with our set-piece coach Nico Jover,” he said.
“It may sound annoying, but this result means we are all keen to score from corners and free-kicks.”
He added, “The most important thing to me is that we succeed and that we don’t do anything illegal in the process. You can’t always win gracefully.”
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One critic of the new approach to set-pieces is Liverpool manager Arne Slott. This is despite the fact that the Reds themselves have become experts.
He said earlier this month: “You have to accept that. I think it’s mainly what’s happening here in the Premier League. If you look at other leagues, I don’t think there’s as much emphasis on set-pieces.”
“When I watch Eredivisie matches (and I still do), I see goals being given away or fouls given to the goalkeeper and I think, ‘Wow, that makes a huge difference’. Here, I almost hit the goalkeeper in the face and the referee said, ‘Keep going’.”
Arne Slott has harshly criticized the Premier League’s growing reliance on set pieces (Image: Getty Images)
“Do I like it? My football heart doesn’t like it. If you ask me about football, I think of the Barcelona team of 10, 15 years ago. Every Sunday night you wanted them to play.”
“Most of the games you watch in the Premier League now, for me, are not fun to watch, but it’s always interesting because it’s very competitive. It’s very competitive, so that’s what makes this league great. Everybody can beat everybody.”
Arsenal have benefited from a number of set-pieces this season but found themselves on the wrong side against Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League. The German side took the lead from a corner kick just seconds into the second half on Wednesday night.
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