Arteta dismisses Arsenal style criticism as a ‘very small minority’

Arteta says criticism of Arsenal’s style comes from a small minority

Mikel Arteta has pushed back against criticism of Arsenal’s playing style, saying he believes it is coming from a “very small minority” as his team prepare to face Bayern Munich in the Champions League.

Arsenal have won 10 of their 11 matches this season, but their recent performances have prompted questions about their ability to break down teams defending deep. They needed an 80th-minute goal from substitute Noni Madueke to beat Nottingham Forest on Sunday. Arsenal have scored 11 goals in seven Premier League games so far and have yet to score from a set-piece in any competition this campaign.

“I don’t have that impression because I heard that the style was incredible,” Arteta said. He pointed to the team’s possession, shot volume and the number of players involved, adding: “The story is completely different to last year.”

Arteta said Arsenal had “enjoyed a lot” of their play and had shown they could dominate games, but accepted that they have work to do against opponents who sit deep. “The low block demands a different kind of game to the high block,” he said. “Still, I think on Sunday, we could have done things better. And that’s in our hands. And we need to recognise that openly as well.”

Goalkeeper David Raya said the players were not irritated by the debate. “People have their own opinions. We have our own opinion. 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,” he said. “We enjoy playing football. We enjoy going out there every single day to win football matches, and that’s the most important thing.”