‘It’s laughable’ – Ian Wright blasts ‘pathetic’ criticism of Arsenal | Football

Ian Wright has hit out at those fans and pundits continuing to criticise Arsenal’s set-piece approach, insisting the club have every right to seek out any small ‘margin’ they will to achieve an edge over the opposition.

Mikel Arteta’s side have acquired a fame because the ‘set-piece kings’ after scoring 21 goals from dead ball situations across the Premier League campaign – essentially the most of any team within the English top flight.

Arsenal’s set-piece guru Nicolas Jover has taken on something of a mythical status amongst the fanbase, with a mural of the Frenchman appearing outside the Emirates midway through last season.

However the Gunners’ physical approach at free-kicks, throw-ins and corners has sparked fury with opposition supporters, with officials coming under increasing pressure to clamp down on dark arts and deliberate holding.

Nonetheless, a defiant Arteta recently admitted he was frustrated that his top-of-the-table Arsenal team had not scored more goals from set-pieces

‘I’m upset that we don’t rating more [from set-pieces],’ the Spaniard told reporters last month, before his side were beaten within the Carabao Cup final and dumped out of the FA Cup.

‘And that we concede as well. So we would like to be the very best and essentially the most dominant team in every aspect of the sport.

‘And that’s the trajectory and the aim of this team. And as a club we would like to be the identical. So let’s try to do this.’

Arteta dismissed any the criticism that Arsenal had received over their tactical approach as ‘a part of the job’.

‘I don’t know the way you have fun one goal different to a different one,’ he added.

‘Perhaps for YouTube it’s nicer one over one other. I don’t know, but the fact of football depends rather a lot.’

Arsenal legend Wright has been unwavering together with his support through the club’s difficult and testing periods over the course of what has been a gruelling season.

And talking to YouTube channel GO90, the previous Arsenal and England striker launched an impassioned defence of Arteta’s tactics from dead ball situations.

‘Can I be honest? You understand what’s pathetic about people occurring concerning the set-pieces? We’ve seen Man City, Man City have done very well with their set-pieces,’ Wright began.

‘The actual fact is, it’s laughable because set-pieces and having the ability to do set-pieces, it’s a part of the sport.

‘In 1999, David Beckham, after Manchester United got hammered in that Champions League final [against Bayern Munich]… David Beckham put two corners in the very same place so that they could rating.

‘Are you saying that we must always give Manchester United stick for having the ability to have a player that has trained, practiced nearly all his life about putting the ball in the correct area?’

Wright questioned why Arsenal wouldn’t make use of the qualities possessed by Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Magalhaes, who’ve combined to torment opposition defences this season.

‘Declan Rice when he’s putting the ball in, Bukayo Saka when he’s putting the ball in… do you’re thinking that that’s easy?’ he went on.

‘Persons are using as much as they will in respects of the margins that it’s costing to attempt to win games now that set-pieces have turn into an enormous a part of the sport.

‘It may not be an enormous a part of the sport years ago but if you’ve now got players who’re able to putting the ball into areas where any person else can make the most, like Gabriel Magalhaes for Arsenal, then you definitely’re going to do it since it’s a way of scoring a goal.’

In accordance with Wright, Arsenal’s second-highest goalscorer in history, fans ‘underestimate’ the work that goes into refining set-pieces on the training ground.

‘Remember the skill element. Gabriel Magalhaes has got to lose a person, Declan Rice or Bukayo Saka have gotten to place it [in the right area],’ he continued.

‘People underestimate the quantity of labor that goes into attempting to get these set-pieces right.

‘It means a lot to win games, win points on this league, that you’re going to take any margin to get it done.’

Arsenal return to Champions League motion on Tuesday night in what guarantees to be an intriguing quarter-final first leg against Sporting in Lisbon.

The Gunners then have just 4 days before attentions turn back to Premier League matters, with Arteta’s men playing host to Bournemouth in Saturday’s lunchtime kick-off.

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