Overview
- Wayne Rooney urged Mikel Arteta on his BBC podcast to ignore criticism and to lean even more on set-pieces, calling the scrutiny of Arsenal "very unfair."
- Alan Shearer rejected the complaints on The Rest Is Football, noting Arsenal’s strong season across competitions and insisting there is no case to fault their approach.
- Arsenal have scored 22 of their 59 goals from set-pieces this season, including 16 from corners, with set-pieces representing 27.1% of Premier League goals excluding penalties.
- Opposition figures have pushed back at the tactic, with Brighton’s Fabian Hurzeler accusing Arsenal of "making their own rules" and Alan Pardew suggesting any title would carry an "asterisk."
- Arsenal remain seven points clear at the top of the Premier League and face Bayer Leverkusen in Germany this week in the Champions League last 16.