Arsenal defender Piero Hincapie has responded to Liverpool boss Arne Slot's criticism of the Premier League's physical approach to set pieces, as the Gunners lead the title race
ISTANBUL, TURKEY - MARCH 10: Arne Slot, Manager of Liverpool, looks on during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 Round of 16 First Leg match between Galatasaray SK and Liverpool FC at Ali Sami Yen Spor Kompleksi on March 10, 2026 in Istanbul, Turkey. (Photo by Ahmad Mora/Getty Images)
Arne Slot has been critical of the Premier League's renewed emphasis on set pieces(Image: Ahmad Mora, Getty Images)
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Arne Slot has received a defensive response from Arsenal star Piero Hincapie following the Liverpool boss' admission that Premier League games are 'not a joy' to watch. The Gunners have faced intense scrutiny over their style and reliance on set pieces but Hincapie insisted he doesn't care what others think.
The Gunners have established themselves as one of the most potent teams in the top flight from set pieces in recent seasons and are set to claim the title from Liverpool after the Reds' disappointing defence of their crown this season.
That approach has proved remarkably successful, with Arsenal sitting at the summit of the table and seven points ahead of Manchester City. Despite this, some remain sceptical, with their more physical approach drawing considerable criticism, reports the Mirror.
Hincapie, brought in on loan from Bayer Leverkusen, has hit back, though. He said: "We pay attention to the details. Our set-piece strength is talked about all over Europe. That's the result of daily training with our set-piece coach, Nico Jover.
"That sounds annoying, but the results mean that every one of us is eager to score from a corner or a free kick."
He added: "The most important thing for me is that we are successful and don't do anything illegal in the process. You can't always win beautifully."
Amongst those to have taken issue with this renewed emphasis on set pieces is Slot, who also appeared to call out referees for not helping by being too lenient.
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Earlier this month, he said: "You have to accept it. I think it's mainly here in the Premier League. If I watch other leagues, I don't think there's so much emphasis on set-pieces.
"If I watch an Eredivisie game, which I still do, I see goals being disallowed and fouls on goalkeepers being given and I think 'wow, that's a big difference'. Here, you can almost hit a goalkeeper in his face and the referee still says 'just go on'.
"Do I like it? My football heart doesn't like it. If you ask me about football, I think about the Barcelona team from 10, 15 years ago. Every Sunday evening you were hoping they would play.
"Now, most of the games I see in the Premier League are not a joy to watch for me, but it's always interesting because it's so competitive. That is what makes this league great because there is so much competitiveness. Everyone can win against everyone."
Whilst Arsenal have benefited from numerous set pieces this campaign, they found themselves on the receiving end during their Champions League encounter with Bayer Leverkusen. The German outfit broke the deadlock on Wednesday evening from a corner mere seconds into the second period before Kai Havertz rescued a point late on.
Liverpool, meanwhile, have much more to do than their league rivals in their last-16 Champions League second leg against Galatasaray, having lost the opening fixture 1-0.
Slot's side must first turn their attentions to crisis club Tottenham on Sunday before aiming to exact revenge on the Turkish side three days later in a bid to book their spot in the quarter finals.