Arsenal's 'rugby-style' tactics from set-pieces have come under scrutiny ahead of their home game with Everton on Saturday
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Captains Martin Odegaard of Arsenal and James Tarkowski of Everton
Captains Martin Odegaard of Arsenal and James Tarkowski of Everton
Everton have been warned about Arsenal’s “rugby-style” approach to set-pieces ahead of the game at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday. Despite taking the lead on their most recent visit before losing 2-1 to a controversial stoppage time goal on the final day of last season, the Blues have never tasted victory at the venue in front of fans.
Their solitary success came behind closed doors through a Bernd Leno own goal on St George’s Day, 2021, some three months after Carlo Ancelotti’s side secured their only win at Anfield this century, also with no spectators present due to coronavirus restrictions.
However, while the Gunners have enjoyed a reputation for playing good football since their ‘French revolution’ under Arsene Wenger back in the late 1990s, their silk has been supplemented by some steel under current manager Mikel Arteta with an increasing threat from dead ball situations.
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Arsenal have now scored 20 goals from set-pieces (excluding penalties) in 2024, which is their joint most in a calendar year, matching their record from 2009, and with eight goals from set-pieces this season, only German pair Stuttgart and Wolfsburg with nine apiece, can top them in Europe’s five big leagues.Everton themselves are next up in the Premier League on six, alongside Aston Villa, but former refereeing chief Keith Hackett has spoken out against Arsenal’s approach and believes the game’s current men in the middle need to get tougher on them.
Speaking to Goodison News after Arsenal’s last Premier League game, a 1-1 draw at Fulham last Sunday, the Sheffield-born official, who took charge of Everton’s 1-0 win over Liverpool at Wembley in the 1984 Charity Shield before replacing Philip Don as the general manager of the Professional Game Match Officials Board, said: “The referee (Chris Kavanagh) failed to grip, as a lot of referees are doing, grappling, almost rugby-style play in the penalty area.
“There’s no doubt that one of the reasons they’re scoring goals from corners is that they’ve got one or two players who are holding their opponent, wrestling them to the ground, and referees are ignoring it.
“The question here is that we are being over-tolerant in terms of grappling, wrestling, rugby-style play in the penalty area.
“The PGMOL have got to do something about it because we’re watching football not rugby.”