Mansfield Town v Arsenal - Emirates FA Cup Fifth Round - Source: Getty
Mansfield Town v Arsenal - Emirates FA Cup Fifth Round - Source: Getty
Bayer Leverkusen boss Kasper Hjulmand has questioned the legality of Arsenal’s set-piece tactics ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League clash in Germany.
Arsenal have found themselves under scrutiny over their methods of scoring from dead-ball situations. They have scored the most goals from set pieces across Europe’s top leagues this season.
Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Hjulmand admitted the increase in goals from set-pieces in modern football but asked whether it is permissible to block opponents while the ball is still at a distance, which therefore creates a chaotic scene in the box of the defending team.
“It's a big challenge, but I have to say, I'm a bit confused by these offensive blocks. I don't know if it's allowed under the rules when the ball is very far away,” Hjulmand told reporters. “We also do it, so it's not just something others do. But it's getting more and more common in football. There are very many blocks and they (Arsenal) create a lot of chances as a result of it. They do it very well and spend a lot of time on these situations. They're one of the best teams in these situations and they work with it a lot.”
“As I understand football, when you do body checks, the ball has to be inside a playing situation. So, I'm just wondering - is it inside the rules to actually block without the ball being close to you. Creating space, pushing players, pushing the goalkeeper?”
In addition to Leverkusen’s boss, Arsenal’s set-piece tactic has been criticized by a number of Premier League coaches and rival players. Most notably, Brighton & Hove boss Fabian Hurzeler and Liverpool head coach Arne Slot have both taken aim at the Gunners over their reliance on the tactic.
Arteta defiant amid criticism of Arsenal’s set-piece tactics
Amid the wave of criticism from rivals over their set-piece tactic, Arteta doesn’t care about the outside noise but wants to make sure his Arsenal side are efficient at scoring from dead-ball situations.
He insisted that such criticism was ‘part of the job’ and doubled down on their approach.
“I'm upset that we don't score more and that we concede as well,” Arteta said at a press conference. “So, we want to be the best and the most dominant team in every aspect of the game, and that's the trajectory and the aim of this team, and as a club, we want to be the same, so we try to do that.”
So far, the Gunners have scored 21 set-piece goals, 16 of which have come from corners.