Mikel Arteta has responded strongly to criticism from Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim, who had questioned Arsenal’s focus on set-pieces following the Gunners’ 2-0 win over United on Wednesday night.
Arsenal showcased their set-piece prowess once again in the victory, with Jurrien Timber and William Saliba both scoring from well-worked corners in the second half. United’s Amorim expressed frustration after the game, claiming that Arsenal were not playing well and accused wingers Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli of attempting to win set-pieces by drawing fouls in wide areas.
However, Arteta was quick to dismiss Amorim’s complaints, stating that his side’s strategy was simply to “exploit the weaknesses” of the opposition. The Arsenal boss explained that his team consistently looks for ways to attack from every angle and take advantage of any vulnerabilities in the opposition’s defense.
“We play with inverted wingers, so they double up inside a lot of times,” Arteta told reporters. “That doesn’t leave a lot of space inside. But when they leave, it creates space for our six or the full-back, and if not, it’s for the nine. Then, we can go outside. We need to look at every angle: what they do, where they are weak, and then exploit those weaknesses.”
Arteta was also asked whether teams are now fearful of conceding corners to Arsenal, to which he responded: “I don’t know. We work on what we work. Attacking the box in various ways. This is one of the ways we attack the box, and we’re very efficient at it. We will continue to improve.”
Arsenal’s latest win sees them remain in third place in the Premier League, but they have reduced the gap to leaders Liverpool, who were held to a 3-3 draw by Newcastle United. Arsenal now trail Liverpool by just seven points as the race for the title heats up.
