Arsenal’s pursuit of the Premier League title has triggered debate over their playing style, with critics suggesting Mikel Arteta’s side rely too heavily on set-pieces despite leading the table.
The Gunners sit seven points clear at the top of the Premier League, have reached the League Cup final, remain in the Champions League, and have advanced to the FA Cup quarter-finals, keeping alive the possibility of a historic quadruple.
Critics Focus on Arsenal’s Set-Piece Goals
The discussion intensified after Arsenal scored twice from corners in a recent win over Chelsea.
Former Premier League striker Chris Sutton questioned whether the team could become the “ugliest” champions in league history if they go on to lift the title. Former Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes also described the team as potentially “the most boring” title winners.
The criticism centres on how Arsenal score their goals rather than how many they score.
Arteta, however, dismissed the debate around aesthetics.
“It’s about playing the best possible football you can, and that the game demands, to give you the best possibility to win the game,” he said.
Numbers Show Arsenal Are Still a Productive Attack
Statistical analysis suggests Arsenal’s attacking output remains comparable to many past champions.
The team has scored 59 goals in 30 Premier League matches, an average of 1.97 goals per game. While that would represent the lowest scoring title-winning side since Leicester City in 2015-16, the figure is still higher than the scoring rates of 12 previous champions.
Those include multiple title-winning sides from Manchester United, José Mourinho’s Chelsea teams and even the famous Arsenal “Invincibles” season in 2003-04, which averaged 1.92 goals per game.
The data shows Arsenal are not unusually low-scoring for a team challenging for the title.
Set-Piece Dominance Fuels the Criticism
Where Arsenal stand out is the proportion of goals coming from dead-ball situations.
Of their 59 league goals, 24 have come from set-pieces, representing 41% of their total scoring output. That percentage would be the highest recorded for a Premier League champion.
However, the criticism carries a degree of irony.
Two teams previously known for strong set-piece output were Blackburn Rovers in 1994-95 and Manchester United in 2007-08 — sides associated with Sutton and Scholes respectively. Both teams scored 35% of their goals from set-pieces, which remains the previous record among title winners.
Arsenal’s numbers therefore represent an evolution rather than an anomaly.
Open-Play Output Remains Modest
One area where Arsenal’s statistics differ is open-play scoring.
The Gunners have averaged 1.17 goals per game from open play, a figure matched only by Manchester United’s 1992-93 title-winning side, the first champions of the Premier League era.
Supporters may argue that their set-piece effectiveness simply reflects a tactical strength rather than a limitation.
Former Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney expressed that view during a recent discussion of Arsenal’s performances.
“I think Arsenal have been brilliant,” Rooney said. “Set-pieces are part of football – why would you not use it?”
Rivals and Managers Offer Mixed Views
Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler, who criticised Arsenal after his side’s recent defeat to them, later revealed he had exchanged messages with Arteta to discuss their differing perspectives.
“If they win the Premier League, they definitely deserve it,” Hurzeler said, adding that he had “huge respect” for the club.
Everton manager David Moyes also defended Arsenal’s approach, arguing that success often requires teams to adapt their methods.
“You have got to find ways of winning,” Moyes said. “You can play as good as you like, but winning is the thing that really matters.”
Discipline and Results Still Resemble Past Champions
Beyond the attacking debate, Arsenal’s overall profile mirrors several previous title-winning teams.
The club has received 40 yellow cards in 30 matches, far fewer than the 73 bookings recorded by Chelsea in their 2014-15 championship season.
They are also on course to potentially win the league without receiving a red card, something achieved by only three teams in Premier League history.
Meanwhile, the team has not relied heavily on narrow victories. Only five of Arsenal’s wins this season have been 1-0, compared with 11 such wins by Chelsea in 2004-05 and 10 by Manchester United in 2008-09.
The Title Race Continues This Weekend
Arsenal continue their campaign when they host Everton in the Premier League.
With progress across domestic and European competitions, Arteta’s side remains one of the most successful teams in Europe this season.
Whether admired for tactical efficiency or criticised for pragmatism, the results keep Arsenal firmly on course.
If they do lift the title, will the debate over style matter as much as the trophy itself?