Mikel Arteta Says Arsenal Style Critics Are a Very Small Minority

Table of Contents

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta says criticism of his side’s playing style comes from “a very small minority” of observers.
Arsenal have won 10 of their 11 games this season, yet have scored only 11 goals in seven Premier League games and none from set pieces in any competition.
Goalkeeper David Raya says he does not know what to say to anyone who calls a team that has lost one game in 11 “boring or irritating”.

Raya and Arteta Answer the Boring Label Before Bayern Munich

Mikel Arteta has heard the debate about how Arsenal play, and he is not buying it. Asked about the criticism in Munich on the eve of the Champions League tie with Bayern, the Arsenal manager said it comes from “a very small minority” and that everyone else has “enjoyed a lot the way we have played” and “dominated games this year”.

His goalkeeper David Raya went further. Raya said the players are not irritated by the noise and that he simply does not know what to say to anyone who calls a team with one defeat in 11 games “boring”.

What set off the argument

Arsenal have won 10 of their 11 games this season, but Sunday’s trip to Nottingham Forest showed why the debate will not go away. The Gunners needed an 80th-minute goal from substitute Noni Madueke to win 1-0 at the City Ground. It was only their 11th goal in seven Premier League games, and they have struggled to break down teams that defend deep.

Arsenal won the title last season by conceding the fewest goals in the league and scoring the most from set pieces. This campaign they have not scored from a set piece in any competition. Arteta pointed to that gap when he made his case, saying the Gunners have scored “so many goals” and have “more possession, more shots, different players participating”. He added that “the story is completely different to last year”.

Arteta admits Sunday could have been better

The manager did not claim his team is perfect. He said a low block “demands a different kind of game” from a high block, and he told reporters that Arsenal “could have done things better” at Forest. “That’s in our hands,” he said, adding that the club needs to “recognise that openly”.

He also argued that every top side in England carries a list of gripes. “None of us are perfect and thank God that we are not perfect,” Arteta said, and said the team can still improve after winning so many games.

Raya: ‘People have their own opinions’

Raya took the same line in plainer words. “People have their own opinions. We have our own opinion,” he said. “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. We enjoy playing football. We enjoy going out there every single day to win football matches.”

The goalkeeper also looked back at last season’s Champions League final defeat by Paris Saint-Germain, when Arsenal had only 28% of the ball. Raya said Arsenal scored in the fifth minute and then sat back a little, knowing how good PSG are going forward. “It is different now,” he said, adding: “We are more prepared this year than last year.”

Bayern first, then the questions

Arsenal face Bayern at 8pm UK time on Wednesday, and Arteta expects the game to follow the pattern of the 3-1 win at the Emirates last season, with Bayern taking the game to Arsenal. Michael Olise is suspended for the hosts, and manager Vincent Kompany is a doubt after a viral infection that has affected his legs. Assistant Aaron Danks said “It’s just a virus” and that the club has encouraged Kompany to rest. Danks will take charge if Kompany cannot make it, as he did in last season’s Champions League semi-final against PSG.

For Arteta, the tie is also a second chance at a prize he has not let go of. He said he tried for many weeks over the summer to get over losing the final on penalties but could not. “I want it so badly,” he said. “So, let’s try again.”

If Arsenal beat Bayern with the control Raya described, the argument about style loses its force. If they labour again, it will follow them home.

WRITTEN BY

Jarrod

Jarrod Partridge is the Founder of Futbol Chronicle and an accredited journalist with over 30 years of experience following international football. A member of the AIPS International Sports Press Association, Jarrod has covered matches at stadiums around the world, bringing first-hand insight to every match report, player profile, and tactical analysis he writes.