Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta guided his side to an emphatic victory over Bayer Leverkusen, but beyond the scoreline, the conversation has quickly shifted to how Arsenal are winning games.
The performance once again highlighted the team’s growing dominance, particularly in set-piece situations, which has become a defining feature of their play this season.
Despite the convincing result, sections of the fanbase remain divided. A supporter known as CFC nato via his official x handle has criticized Arteta’s approach, arguing that he has drifted away from the fluid, possession-heavy philosophy associated with Pep Guardiola.
The fan claimed Arteta is “destroying the beauty of football” by forcing teams to focus more on defending set-pieces than expressing attacking freedom, with some even labeling the style as “Haram football.”
CFC Nato posted;
He never learned any positive things from Pep, now he is destroying the league and ruining the beauty of football, every team is training on how to stop set pieces goals instead of attacking football and it really affecting the league, look at the poor performance of English team in Europe it has never happened before until Arteta started playing Haram football
Arteta, however, has made it clear that his vision goes beyond aesthetics. He insists that his goal is to make Arsenal
“the most dominant in every aspect of the game,”
including dead-ball situations. For him, efficiency and results are just as important as beauty, emphasizing that a goal from a corner carries the same value as any well-worked open-play move.
While comparisons to Guardiola continue, Arteta has openly acknowledged the influence of his time at Manchester City, describing it as an “incredible privilege.” Still, he maintains that true growth as a manager requires evolution, not imitation, stressing the need to adapt ideas to new challenges and contexts.
Recent briefings also underline his relentless mindset. Arteta dismissed dwelling on past victories, stating that what a team achieves “a few days ago is not relevant,” as his focus remains on consistency across competitions. He also described every win as a “massive step” toward their objectives, reinforcing the importance of momentum at this stage of the season.
Individually, Arteta continues to back key players like Bukayo Saka, whom he says he “fully trusts and loves,” despite occasional dips in form. He also acknowledged the lasting impact of experienced figures like David Moyes on his managerial journey and standards.
Softfootball reported that Arsenal’s identity this season has increasingly been tied to their effectiveness from set-pieces, with 16 goals from corners already matching a Premier League record.
Much of this success is credited to set-piece coach Nicolas Jover, whose routines have turned Arsenal into one of the most dangerous teams in dead-ball situations.
