Arsenal are sitting prettily at the top of the Premier League but not everyone is enamoured with Mikel Arteta’s side, who are renowned for their set-piece goals
Arsenal have been accused of ‘killing’ the way football is played in the Premier League. With 19 points from their opening eight games, Mikel Arteta’s men are top of the table and have been installed as the new favourites to lift the title come May.
But the Gunners’ style of play isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. Arsenal are known for being particularly reliant on set pieces when it comes to scoring goals, with set-piece coach Nicolas Jover playing an important role.
Eight of Arsenal’s 15 league goals this season have come from set plays. If ‘Arsenal Set Piece’ were a goalscorer, they’d only be behind Manchester City superstar Erling Haaland in the race for the Golden Boot.
Arteta’s players are also excellent at defending opposition set plays and boast a watertight defence. The Gunners have conceded just three goals this term in all competitions.
Jamie O’Hara isn’t a fan, though. The ex-Tottenham midfielder has blamed Arsenal for the league’s shift in style towards ‘non-league football’ because teams are now ‘copying’ the Gunners.
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Asked about the increased number of long throw-ins this season, highlighted by Jamie Carragher, O’Hara told Sky Sports: “Can’t stand it, I hate it. It’s killing the game, especially the Premier League, the product.
“It’s like watching non-league at the minute, some of the football I’m watching. Spurs at the weekend; territory football, head it out, [Kevin] Danso comes up, gets the towel, starts throwing.
“It’s so one-dimensional and Carragher’s right. I get it, some of the lesser teams like Brentford, you’ve got a long throw-in, you can cause problems, you can maybe create a chance. But the top teams doing long throw-ins? I can’t believe what I’m watching.
“It’s all down to Arsenal – Arsenal started this. Arsenal started the long throws, the set pieces. They’ve killed the Premier League in terms of fluid football and enjoyable football.
“They don’t (play good football)… Everyone’s run with it. Arsenal are the best at it – you can’t get away from it – set pieces, throw-ins, Arsenal are the best. But everyone’s copying what they’re doing.”
Should Premier League teams rely less on set pieces? Have your say in the comments section.
On Sunday, after Liverpool conceded the decisive goal in their 2-1 loss to Manchester United from a corner, Carragher pointed out that Arsenal have an advantage over their title rivals because of their set-piece expertise. “I think Arsenal right now look the best-equipped team to win the title in terms of the way the league is now,” the Liverpool legend claimed on the Gary Neville Podcast.
“It feels like a lot of set pieces, long throws. Liverpool conceded the goal again from a set piece. Arsenal look like scoring goals from set pieces. They can defend them as well, and they might be better equipped to win this title in terms of how the Premier League is going, style-wise, from all the teams.”
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Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle ahead of the 2025/26 season, saving members £192 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.
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