Mikel Arteta and Arsenal are flying high at the top of the Premier League right now, and there is one ‘smart’ aspect of their game which has impressed Dimitar Berbatov.
The Gunners head to Sunderland over the weekend with the chance to extend their lead at the top of the Premier League until Liverpool face Manchester City.
Heading into the weekend, Mikel Arteta’s team currently lead the way by six points, and a win would see them move nine points clear until at least Sunday.
Ahead of the match, Dimitar Berbatov has been singing the praises of the North London club and has highlighted one aspect in which Arsenal do really well.
Photo by Stu Forster/Getty ImagesDimitar Berbatov praises Mikel Arteta’s ‘smart’ set-piece tactics
Dimitar Berbatov has hit back at critics who are slamming Arsenal for the majority of their goals coming from set-pieces, and instead, he has praised Arteta’s ‘smart’ tactics.
The former Manchester United and Tottenham striker believes it’s such a useful asset to have in their arsenal, given the number of goals they have scored from these situations.
When asked about the criticism the Gunners have been getting from being ‘overreliant on set-pieces’, Berbatov told TalkSPORT: “To be honest, I applaud them for this, and they are very smart for doing this because they know how to play football.
In their 2-0 win over Burnley, Arsenal set a Premier League record by scoring eight goals from corners in their first 10 matches of the new campaign.
Viktor Gyokeres’ Premier League goal drought ended after Gabriel Magalhaes headed Declan Rice’s corner back across the goal and into the path of the Swede.
Throughout the match, Arsenal fans were celebrating when they won a corner just like it was a goal, with the Clarets just unable to deal with them.
“They know how to move the ball, look for the space, technical ability up there with the best and now they have another weapon in their arsenal to know when they need to, they’ll use it, of course,” added Berbatov.
“They are scoring a lot of goals, which, as I said, is great for them, and I think other teams are going to learn and take an example from this and try to do the same.”
Sunderland’s set-piece record this season ahead of Arsenal clash
Sunderland have a strong record for defending set-pieces this season, with Regis Le Bris making his team well-drilled in these situations.
SunderlandArsenalGoals for310Goal against22Sunderland’s set-piece record this season (WhoScored)
From set-pieces, the Black Cats have conceded just two goals so far this season, so the Gunners face a tough task exposing them here.
But if any team can unlock them, it’s the Gunners and Gabriel, who have been so dangerous in these positions.