Arsenal's Declan Rice has had enough of the criticism. The Gunners midfielder is baffled by the ongoing complaints about Arsenal's set-piece success, arguing that teams only criticize them because they're so good at it.
The numbers don't lie. Arsenal have scored 19 goals from corners and free kicks this season - at least five more than any other Premier League team. That's more than double what 10 teams in the division have managed from set pieces.
"Everyone talks about it and then everyone does it -- so it's confusing!" Rice told The i Paper. "But they're not doing it to the level that we do it. You can see that when you're seeing teams take corners."
Liverpool Boss Sparks Fresh Debate
The criticism reached new levels after Arsenal beat Chelsea 2-1 earlier this month. All three goals in that match came from set pieces, which didn't sit well with Liverpool manager Arne Slot.
Slot claimed modern football "was not a pleasure" to watch anymore. He questioned why referees don't punish the physical battles happening in the penalty box during corners. Those comments struck a nerve across the league.
Tottenham's Mathys Tel jumped on the bandwagon too. He called the penalty box during corners a "zoo" where everyone's pushing and holding. "The goalkeeper can no longer get out, he can no longer see," Tel complained on the ZACK podcast.
Tel went further, suggesting the Premier League has become less exciting overall. He wants more individual brilliance like Vinicius Junior's tricks or Kylian Mbappé's speed. Instead, he finds it "too structured" with too much focus on set-piece details.
Rooney Backs Arsenal's Approach
But not everyone's buying into the criticism. Wayne Rooney, Manchester United's legendary striker, has come out swinging in Arsenal's defense.
"The set pieces are part of football -- why would you not use it?" Rooney argued on his podcast. "If teams aren't clever enough or haven't got the players to deal with it, why wouldn't Arsenal continue to do that?"
Rooney went even further, saying he'd use set pieces MORE if he were Mikel Arteta. He pointed out that United's last title-winning team wasn't great either, but nobody talks about that now. The criticism Arsenal face, according to Rooney, is completely unfair.
For bettors, Arsenal's set-piece dominance is worth noting. When backing the Gunners, corner markets and "goal from set piece" bets could offer value. Their efficiency in these situations makes them dangerous opponents, especially when playing at home where they can maximize their height advantage.
Rice remains confident Arsenal can get even better. "We can still get better and that's the good thing about it," he said. If they do improve, other teams better watch out.
