Mikel Arteta has dismissed criticism of Arsenal's set-piece tactics following Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler's provocative comments ahead of their midweek clash. Arsenal have scored 19 goals from set pieces in 29 Premier League matches this season, five more than any other side, prompting debate over their approach.
Hurzeler questioned the lack of clear rules around set pieces, suggesting Arsenal waste time when leading. 'When Arsenal has a corner and they are leading, sometimes they spend over one minute just to take a corner,' he said. 'We have game time of 50 minutes instead of sometimes 65 minutes.'
Arteta, asked about the criticism in his press conference, said simply: 'Part of the job.' He added that Arsenal aim to be the best in every aspect of the game, including set pieces. 'I certainly want to be the most dominant team in every aspect,' he stated.
The debate follows comments from Liverpool manager Arne Slot, who lamented that set-piece dominance has made games less enjoyable. Opta data shows 27.5% of Premier League goals this season come from non-penalty set pieces, the second-highest rate since 2009-10.
