Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has insisted that his current team being compared to Stoke is a compliment and his intention to make his team the “kings” of every part of the game.
Mikel Arteta has been under scrutiny in the past few weeks over his team’s newly developed corner kick tactics. Arsenal scored twice from the corner during their midweek clash against Manchester United, a move that has become a normal routine.
Dimitar Berbatov, the former United and Tottenham Hotspur forward, said that “Arsenal are the new Stoke City”, in reference to the Stoke side managed by Tony Pulis from 2006 to 2013.
Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville, meanwhile, described Arsenal set-piece coach Nicolas Jover as “the most annoying bloke” in football.
Jurrien Timber scores his Arsenal’s first goal with a header against Manchester United. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
Asked about being labelled the “corner kings”, Arteta said: “We want to be the kings of everything. On set pieces, the best in the world. High press, the best in the world. Attacking open spaces, the best in the world. Best atmosphere in the stadium. The best at everything.
“Before it was [criticism] that we didn’t score enough, we were soft defending, we didn’t have mentality, we weren’t physical enough, we could not challenge the top teams, 22 years without winning away from home in big matches.
“We want to be the best at everything. We want to have the best academy, the best individual development of players, recruit the best players and the best coaches. That is the aim. That is the objective. If not, we have to go and do something else.
“I understood very well that Berbatov said. It was said in the best possible way. We take it as a big compliment.”
Since the start of last season, Arsenal have scored 22 goals from corners — the most of any team in Europe’s big five leagues. Their tally of 22 goals from corners is seven more than the next highest in the Premier League, Manchester City.
