Mikel Arteta has hit back at Ruben Amorim’s Arsenal corner observation, as the Manchester United manager claimed his side made the Gunners “uncomfortable” during their 2-0 defeat.
Arteta handed the Portuguese coach the first defeat of his United career on Wednesday night. The Gunners were overwhelming favourites heading into the Premier League encounter, but their attack was stifled by the Red Devils in the opening 45 minutes as Amorim’s side pressed and defended effectively.
The scores were tied 0-0 at the break, but Arsenal’s corner routines proved decisive yet again as defenders Jurrien Timber and William Saliba got their names on the scoresheet for the hosts after half-time. While he was clearly frustrated on the side-lines, Amorim highlighted the positives from the game, pointing out that his tactics made Arsenal’s players and fans at the Emirates Stadium nervous.
Amorim said: "I make the evaluation of the game regardless of the result. Like I said, the 4-0 [vs Everton], you can take positive things but we have to improve and we already knew that. But you can feel it in the stadium in the first half, especially at the end of the first half, you can feel that they were not comfortable. So you can take that.
“I think the difference today was set-pieces. Because, in set-pieces, you see a goal, then the momentum changes. It’s really hard for us to take full control of the game, but we tried.”
Arsenal scored two goals from corners against United
Arsenal scored two goals from corners against United (Image: Getty Images)
Amorim also claimed that Arsenal deliberately aimed to win corners by luring opposition full-backs towards the corner flag. He stated: "On every occasion Saka and Martinelli has one against one, they go outside, they cross. They know if the cross is going well, they can score. If it is a corner, they can score."
However, his counterpart Arteta took issue with the observation in his post-match press conference. The Spaniard was quick to highlight the complexity of the Gunners' attacking plans and their effectiveness in various ways.
"Last year we scored the most goals in the history of this football club," said the Arsenal manager. "Not because of only set pieces, [but] because of a lot of things that we have. We want to create individual and magic moments.
Arteta rejected the idea that his side are playing with the aim of winning corners
Arteta rejected the idea that his side are playing with the aim of winning corners (Image: Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
"A lot of players can create their own goals. We can create goals from short counters and long counters, slow build-ups, restarts and the opportunity to open up the opposition. Every single phase of play let's maximise it, keep working on it, keep improving.”
He added: "No, we play with inverted wingers. They develop a lot inside so there’s not a lot of space inside. When they leave there is a lot of space for the full-back or for the six, if not then for the nine, if not you can go outside. We need to look at every angle. What they do, where they can be weak and where we can exploit the weakness of the opposition."
Despite Amorim's suggestions, United struggled to pose an attacking threat throughout the match, managing only five shots compared to Arsenal's 14, with just two on target. Following their latest victory, Arsenal now lead the Premier League in set-piece goals (22) since the start of last season.
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Arsenal Manager Mikel Arteta, Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Jesus with the Arsenal Therapy Dog Win during the Arsenal Men's team group shoot at London Colney on September 18, 2023
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