Mikel Arteta will be hoping to lead Arsenal to a Premier League triumph at the end of the season, but not everyone is a fan of his side’s corner kick antics, Soccernet.ng reports.
Former Super Eagles and Chelsea midfielder, John Obi Mikel, has described the Gunners’ football as ‘ugly’, slamming their mode of scoring from set pieces as unlawful.
As per Yahoo Sports, Arsenal have scored the most goals from set-pieces in the English Premier League this season (19), five more than any other team.
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Mikel Obi: Ex-Super Eagles star blasts Arsenal’s tactics under Mikel Arteta
Speaking on TalkSports, the one-time UEFA Champions League winner mentioned the Gunners have the right to sit deep, as long as they comply with the laws of football.
“We [Chelsea] used to park the bus, yes, but we won legally,” the AFCON 2013 winner said.
“When I watch Arsenal play right now, they depend solely on corner kicks.
“You have spent almost a billion, Mikel Arteta, almost a billion. And you’re telling me the only way you can win games is through corner kicks? It’s ridiculous.
“For me, every time I watch them during the corner kicks, during set pieces, what they do during set pieces, for me, it’s illegal. You can’t do that.
“First of all, they’re impeding the goalkeeper, and now they start holding players. When you hold a player, when you impede a player from jumping.
“I watched the game against Chelsea when they played against us. Declan Rice was grabbing the left-back; he was holding him so he couldn’t jump.
“How can the referee not see that? Even if the ball goes in, how can VAR not see that?
“And for me, the PGMOL, they need to come out, and they need to straight away stop this because if they don’t stop this, a whole bunch of teams are going to start doing it. And for me, it’s illegal.
“So that is what I mean, that Arsenal are trying to cheat their way to winning the Premier League,” Mikel Obi concluded.
Arsenal are currently seven points clear at the top of the English Premier League table, with eight games left to spare.
