Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has hit back at critics labelling his side corner-kick specialists, insisting the Gunners want to dominate every aspect of the game.
The comments came after Arsenal beat Manchester United 2-0, with both goals arriving from corners during a match in which the Londoners registered 13 corners to United’s zero.
Softfootball understands the result sparked plenty of criticism online, with many accusing Arsenal of over-relying on set-piece tactics.
Responding to the tag of “corner kings,” Arteta made his ambitions for the club crystal clear. He said:
Well we want to be the kings of everything. On set-pieces we want to be the best in the world. High press, the best in the world. Attacking open spaces, the best in the world.
The Spaniard went on to reflect on how far the club has come, pointing to years of struggle before this current squad took shape. He continued:
Before it was we weren’t scoring enough goals. We were soft when defending. We didn’t have mentality. We weren’t physical enough.
Arteta closed by reaffirming that total excellence, not just set-piece success, remains the standard he’s building toward at the Emirates.
