“Fossil football?!”: Mikel Arteta "slammed" by pundits for deploying conservative tactics despite possessing depth in quality
- Anweshan Ghosh
- Sep 5
- 2 min read
Arsenal's 1-0 loss to defending Premier League champions Liverpool at Anfield last week raised several questions about Mikel Arteta's tactics and game plan, as Dominik Szoboszlai’s stunning late free kick proved to be the point of difference between the two sides.
The Gunners' conservative approach was slammed by football pundits, as Mikel Arteta was accused of “playing for a draw” at Anfield with a pessimistic approach. The Spaniard started the midfield trio of Declan Rice, Martin Zubimendi and Mikel Merino, which led to an evident lack of creativity on the pitch, while the injured Martin Odegaard and new signing Eberechi Eze watched on from the bench.
As a result, Arsenal were forced to press less aggressively, defend deep into their half, and rely on long balls to play the ball forward due to the absence of creative services for them. Kai Havertz’s absence also affected Arteta's game plan significantly.
With Odegaard not fit enough to start, pundits called out Arteta for not choosing to start Eberechi Eze, who could've provided the Gunners with the much-needed creativity and intensity in the attack. However, it seemed like a fair decision from the Arsenal boss to bring him on from the bench in such a high-intensity debut game.
“Still trust the process”: Can Mikel Arteta finally lead Arsenal to glory?
Mikel Arteta has transformed a struggling Arsenal side into a Premier League and Champions League contender, but he has often been criticised for the lack of intensity and aggression required to win titles.
The Gunners have come agonisingly close to winning the Premier League title in recent times, having finished as the runners-up in the league three times in a row now, which has frustrated the fans and potentially even the players.
The North London giants are expected to achieve glory this season as well, but is Mikel Arteta the right man to lead them?
The answer would be yes because the team has been built as per his requirements, and they've performed considerably well, despite dealing with consistent injuries and struggles over the past season. The Spanish international has managed to create a special bond with the players, which has maintained a stellar unity among the squad.
Mikel has been conservative throughout, with most of his signings also being defenders and pivoted midfielders, but his style of football has already taken them so far. Arsenal have to be patient, just like Atletico Madrid have been with Diego Simeone, who also faced similar criticism for deploying conservative tactics despite having enough depth in quality.
This season there is a lot of quality in the side, and they boast the best defence in the league statistically. Therefore, having the best defence can also lead the Gunners to their title this season under the leadership of Mikel Arteta.
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