Mikel Arteta’s tactics have been blasted by his opposite numbers (Image: Getty)
Arsenal are edging closer to their first Premier League title since 2004, but the way they go about their business has caused plenty of outrage. From accusations of time-wasting, dark arts and grappling at set-pieces, Mikel Arteta’s side have certainly split opinion.
What originally started out as a social media debate appears to have crept over into the world of Premier League management, with plenty of head honchos at clubs having had a moan in recent weeks. So much so, some have even called for changes to specific rules that could end up hurting Arsenal’s effectiveness.
Fabian Hurzeler, chief among them, with the Brighton chief having launched into a tirade about Arsenal’s antics following their recent clash in the Premier League. Hurzeler vowed never play football in the style that Arteta had set his side up to face Brighton.
In the eyebrow-raising rant, Hurzeler said: « There was only one team who tried to play football today. I will never be that kind of manager who tries to win in that way. »
The German is also believed to have told Arsenal defender Piero Hincapie to: « F***ing play football,” during a pause in proceedings during Wednesday’s encounter. Hincapie responded by putting his finger to his lips and shushing the Brighton boss.
But it was the alleged time wasting that riled Hurzeler the most, with the ex-St. Pauli boss calling for a change to the rules surrounding time wasting. He mused: « I ask one question – do you ever see in a Premier League game the goalkeeper going down three times? »
He’s not the only Premier League boss to have voiced frustration with elements of Arsenal’s style of play, as the Manchester United interim manager recently criticised set-piece tactics. Suggesting the grappling and holding seen at set-pieces has now ‘gone too far’, Carrick is keen for lawmakers to address the issues head-on.
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Fabian Hurzeler slammed Arsenal’s goalkeeper for his time-wasting antics (Image: Getty)
He said: “I think it’s gone too far. It wasn’t long ago we were told you couldn’t lay a hand on anyone in the box and we were told it would be clamped down. It’s crept in, the success of corners and being able to put bodies close together has made more teams do it.
“It’s understandable why there are so many teams doing it and trying it. As a game, it doesn’t feel like we’ve got that balance right. I don’t know what to do about it, it’s not for me to decide. In the meantime, you got to deal with what’s in front of you, and if it’s allowed, then you got to play to it.”
Meanwhile, Arne Slot has also had a little bit of a moan about the general quality of Premier League football. The Dutchman remarked that he doesn’t enjoy watching matches in the English top flight and prefers to watch games in other leagues instead.
The 2024/25 Premier League winner said: “If I watch other leagues, I don’t think there is so much emphasis on set pieces. One of the reasons is, and it’s sometimes funny for me to do, if I watch Eredivisie games, which I still do, I see goals being disallowed or fouls on goalkeepers being given.
“I’m like, ‘Wow, that’s a big difference’. Here, you can almost hit a goalkeeper in the face and the referee still says, ‘Just go on’.”
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