John Obi Mikel took aim at a host of targets in an explosive rant live on talkSPORT.
The two-time Premier League winner did not hold back as he shared his views on the title race, Jose Mourinho, former club Chelsea as well as the Nigerian national team.
John Obi Mikel on talkSPORT
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Mikel unleashed an explosive rant as he appeared live on talkSPORT on WednesdayCredit: talkSPORT
From accusing the Gunners of 'cheating' to calling for the Nigerian Football Federation's president to resign, it was an explosive interview from start to finish on Wednesday.
Arsenal 'cheating' way to title
Arsenal currently sit seven points clear at the top of the Premier League as they chase a first title in 22 years.
Mikel Arteta's side have become a clinical force from corners in recent seasons, which has seen them get dubbed 'Set Piece FC' by rival fans, although Arsenal fans have taken joy in the label too.
However, Mikel is not impressed by comparisons between the Gunners and the Chelsea team he played in under Mourinho.
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The 38-year-old won the title under the Portuguese in 2015, the second of his two league triumphs as a player.
Asked about claims from fans that Arsenal 'park the bus' like Mourinho's Blues side, he explained: "We used to park the bus, yes, but we won legally.
"When I watch Arsenal play right now, they depend solely on corner kicks.
"You have spent almost a billion, Mikel Arteta, almost a billion. And you’re telling me the only way you can win games is through corner kicks? It’s ridiculous."
Mikel was later asked to clarify his claim that Arsenal's style of play is 'illegal', adding: "For me, everytime I watch them during the corner kicks, during set pieces, what they do during set pieces, for me, it’s illegal. You can’t do that.
"First of all, they’re impeding the goalkeeper and now they start holding players. When you hold a player, when you impede a player jumping.
Arsenal’s English midfielder #41 Declan Rice celebrates after the team’s second goal off from an own goal off his corner
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Arsenal's set piece tactics would make a title win 'illegal', says MikelCredit: AFP
"I watched the game against Chelsea when they played against us. Declan Rice was grabbing the left-back, he was holding him so he couldn’t jump.
"How can the referee not see that? Even if the ball goes in, how can VAR not see that? And for me, the PGMOL, they need to come out and they need to straight away stop this because if they don’t stop this, a whole bunch of teams are going to start doing it. And for me, it’s illegal.
“So that is what I mean, that Arsenal are trying to cheat their way to winning the Premier League."
Chelsea 'take five steps backwards'
It has been another topsy-turvy season for Mikel's old club Chelsea, who are onto their second manager of the campaign.
Enzo Maresca left the club in January despite winning the Conference League and Club World Cup last term.
The Italian has since been replaced by Liam Rosenior in the Stamford Bridge dugout, but Mikel wishes Maresca was still in charge.
Chelsea Head Coach Liam Rosenior during the Chelsea Press Conference
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Chelsea have been accused of taking 'five steps backwards' by replacing Maresca with RoseniorCredit: Getty
Mikel said: "I was a big fan of Maresca, I have to say that. I like the way the team was progressing.
"There was something I can see that’s a green light of how we’re playing. There was an identity of how we’re playing.
"I can see us going forward, the way the team is going forward. But I just think right now, we’ve taken five steps backwards.
"I like Liam Rosenior, I like what he’s doing with the team but I just think Maresca for me was the perfect manager for the players that we had.
"I liked the way we were playing out from the back, the system that we played. Cole Palmer playing in his favourite position and everything was just working out for us.
"Of course, yes, we did go through a bad patch and the club decided to pull the trigger, but for me I would have stuck with Enzo Maresca."
Reece James and Cole Palmer celebrate goal for Chelsea at Aston Villa
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Chelsea are fifth in the Premier League table, 19 points off the paceCredit: Getty
As for Chelsea's transfer policy in recent seasons of signing young players, Mikel was asked if it is holding the club back from challenging for the title.
He added: "Right now, I don’t think we have a clue what we’re doing.
"All of the players, I don’t think we have a clue what we’re doing, who we’re bringing in.
"You need a bit of experience. I’ve said it many times. We have so many fantastic young players, players with potential, but to be consistent, what we don’t have right now is consistency.
"We don’t have the consistency of winning games, winning five or six games in a row. We don’t have that and that comes with inexperience.
"For us to be able to go on a run, for us to be able to compete to win the Premier League, we need a bit of experience and we don’t have that."
Chelsea owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali
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Many Chelsea fans are disillusioned with the club's ownership, and it appears Mikel is tooCredit: Getty
Mourinho 'should know better'
Mourinho was criticised for his reaction to Vinicius Jr's claims that he had been racially abused during last month's clash between Benfica and Real Madrid.
Gianluca Prestianni was accused of abusing the Brazilian winger after he scored for the Spanish giants during a Champions League clash between the two sides last month.
Following the match, Mourinho hinted that Vinicius Jr had 'incited' the incident with his goal celebration.
Commenting on his former manager's remarks, Mikel said: "Knowing the person that I know, the manager that I know and the human being that I know, I don’t think that’s what he meant.
"But he’s a very experienced manager, he should know better. I think after the game straight away when he came out and he made that statement, that’s not what I expected from Jose Mourinho.
Benfica headcoach, José Mourinho shouting on the sideline
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Mikel says Mourinho should have known better before making his comments following Benfica vs Real MadridCredit: Getty
"The manager that I know, he knows better. He knows this is a very sensitive subject. It’s not a football subject.
"He said it’s a societal problem and I expected him to come out and straight away say there’s no place for this. It doesn’t matter, a player is allowed to celebrate. It doesn’t matter how you celebrate and looking at the celebration, there was absolutely nothing wrong with the celebration.
"I know your tempers are flying high, there’s emotions in the game but he has so much experience and I said it in my podcast that I expected more from him and I think he’s come out and he said if he’s found guilty he has no place in my team."
World Cup 'disaster' for Nigeria
Away from club football, it has been a disappointing period for Mikel's native Nigeria.
The former international won 89 caps for the Super Eagles and represented his country at both the 2014 and 2018 World Cups.
However, the Super Eagles will not be at this summer's finals in North America, having also missed out on qualifying four years ago.
Alex Iwobi of Nigeria shows dejection during the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations group stage match between Guinea-Bissau and Nigeria
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Nigeria's failure to qualify for the World Cup is a 'disaster' in Mikel's eyesCredit: Getty
Nigeria were beaten on penalties by DR Congo in the second round of African qualifying in November, ending their World Cup hopes.
Mikel has now called for those running the Nigerian Football Federation to step down from their roles.
He explained: "It’s a hammer blow and I’ve said it so many times again, when you have a country as big as we do, over 300million people, the biggest country in Africa and we’re not going to the World Cup (for a) second time in a row.
"I’ve said it so many times that the FA, the people that are running the FA, they should all resign. They have to resign because it’s the second time it’s happened.
"We have one of the best teams in Africa and we’re not going to be in the World Cup. It’s a disaster. It’s a disaster.
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"So the people running the FA, the president [Ibrahim Musa Gusau] of the FA, the organisation people, they have to resign because African football is growing so much and we are being left behind. Nigeria’s been left behind.
"We should be leading the way. Look at what Morocco is doing with their team, with their country. They’re growing, they’re developing and we keep going backwards time after time."