Arsenal: Mikel Arteta hits back at set-piece criticism as new message sent to Premier League rivals | OneFootball

Gunners have scored 22 goals from dead-ball scenarios this season

Mikel Arteta dismissed scrutiny of Arsenal's set-piece record, insisting he wants his team to score even more goals from corners.

The Gunners beat Chelsea on Sunday to move five points clear at the top of the Premier League.

Both of those goals came from corners, taking Arsenal's tally from those situations to 16 in the league this season.

That has drawn both praise for how good they are from dead-ball opportunities, but also criticism for what is perceived at times to be a reliance on them.

Asked whether all Premier League managers would like to have their side sitting top of the corner standings, Arteta said: "I certainly want to be.

"I'm upset that we don't score more and that we concede as well. We want to be the best and the most dominant team in every aspect of the game.

"That's the trajectory and the aim of this team. As a club we want to be the same."

Arteta was also keen to point out Arsenal are far from alone in trying to maximise set-pieces this season.

"I was really upset the way we conceded a goal against Chelsea and look at the quality they have, the amount of set-pieces they score," Arteta said.

"Manchester United is doing so well, the same. I was at Man City, [we] used to work a lot on them. So it's something. There are phases and there are moments when a team has an opportunity to do certain things."

Arne Slot said this week that the Premier League has become "not as joyful" due to added focus on set-pieces, but Pep Guardiola said there was no point complaining and teams just had to adapt.

Arteta echoed those comments, pointing to how he had tweaked his tactics in his six years in charge at Arsenal.

During the club's title challenge in the 2022-23 season, the Gunners played with Oleksandr Zinchenko inverting into midfield from left-back.

Now it is often Piero Hincapie at full-back, with Arsenal prioritising physicality across the pitch.

"The game is evolving and the game is becoming more and more difficult," Arteta said.

"Before when you used to do a game plan and you just invert a full-back and bring an extra player in midfield or a false nine, the opponent is ‘Fini!’ Big overload, four vs three inside, two vs one inside, time on the ball.

"So dominant, 70 to 80 per cent of possession. The other opponent, two counter-attackers, set-pieces, the game is done.

"Now teams are adapting. Teams know after every sequence of play, whether it's a throw-in, a restart of play, an open-play situation, after direct play, exactly what they have to do. Everything is almost man-to-man.

"So it's going to be a different game unless we change the rules because the evolution of the game is that."