May 4th 2024.
Mikel Arteta's team has been incredibly successful at scoring from set-pieces this season. However, former Liverpool player Graeme Souness has come out with a harsh criticism of Arsenal's tactics, accusing them of cheating. The Gunners have scored an impressive 16 goals from corners and free-kicks this season, largely due to the expertise of specialist coach Nicolas Jover.
In their recent 3-2 victory over Tottenham in the north London derby, Arsenal scored two goals from corners. This drew attention to the actions of defender Ben White, who has taken on the role of Arsenal's main agitator during set-pieces. White was criticized for his attempt to distract Tottenham goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario by trying to take off his glove. This type of behavior was also seen in their 5-0 win against Chelsea, where White frustrated Marc Cucurella during a corner kick.
Souness believes that it is only a matter of time before Arsenal's tactics are exposed and called for match officials to take action against their "dark arts". In an interview with the Daily Mail, he stated, "I have been hearing a lot about the so-called 'genius' of Arsenal's set-piece coach and his contribution to the team's title push." However, he also pointed out that in the midst of all the excitement about Arsenal's goals, two of them should not have counted due to obstruction.
According to Souness, Arsenal has been employing a deliberate strategy to block opponents, particularly goalkeepers, during set-pieces. He emphasized that this is considered cheating according to the rules of the game. "Call me old-fashioned, but what we're seeing here is cheating," he said. Souness also urged referees to consult their rule books and take action against this type of behavior, as it is becoming more and more common. He also pointed out that this has been a pattern for Arsenal ever since Jover joined the team as their set-piece coach two seasons ago.
Souness also expressed his frustration with the use of VAR in these situations, stating that the officials in charge should be able to see and penalize these actions. He concluded by saying, "It's time for Arsenal to stop these tactics and for the officials to start enforcing the rules." It is clear that Souness strongly believes that Arsenal's success from set-pieces is not solely due to their "genius" coach, but rather their questionable tactics.
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