Chelsea legend stokes flames of rivalry with "cheating" Arsenal remark

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·11 mars 2026

Chelsea legend stokes flames of rivalry with "cheating" Arsenal remark

Arsenal are currently fighting for the league title and are at the top of the Premier League table.

They are currently favourites to win the league this season, but their style of play has left former Chelsea star John Obi Mikel frustrated.

Vidéos OneFootball

The former Chelsea midfielder revealed to talkSPORT that Arsenal have been overly dependent on set pieces to win matches. He added that they have spent nearly £1 billion on improving the team, but they have not been able to win games in style.

He also added that Arsenal are cheating their way to the title. His claims will not go down well with the Arsenal fans, and it will only add to the bitterness between the two clubs and their respective sets of fans.

Mikel said: “When I watch Arsenal play right now, they depend solely, 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. On recognising them as champions, he added: “Not if they go on and win the way they’re playing right now. No, I wouldn’t, because for me it’s cheating; they’ve cheated their way to winning the Premier League. So I wouldn’t recognise them as winners because, for me, it’s illegal the way they’re winning games. It’s illegal.”

There is no doubt that Arsenal have a quality team, but their style of play has often been branded as negative. For a team packed with several top-quality players, perhaps fans and neutrals would have expected a more adventurous style of football.

That said, Arsenal have not won a major trophy for over two decades. They will be desperate to win the Premier League title, regardless of their style of play. Mikel Arteta has been under a lot of pressure after the kind of backing he has received in the transfer market.

He will be hoping to deliver a major trophy this season, and winning the Premier League title would be a huge relief for him. The Spanish manager is unlikely to care what others have to say about his style of football, especially if he manages to deliver the league title.