Arsenal Playing Style Criticism Defended By Rooney

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Wayne Rooney has called on Mikel Arteta to shut out criticism of Arsenal’s direct style while the team leads the Premier League and chases four trophies, arguing that results matter more than outside noise during a title challenge.

Rooney’s defence comes as Arsenal remain seven points ahead of Manchester City in the Premier League and prepare for a League Cup meeting with Pep Guardiola’s side later this month, while also facing Bayer Leverkusen in the first leg of a last-16 tie on Wednesday.

Rooney drew on past experience at Manchester United to question current complaints about aesthetics, saying: "The last league title we won, we weren't great as a team, but no one is going back to thatsaying: 'Oh, that Man United team who won that last title weren't great, said Rooney. I don't think they've been as bad as what people are saying, I really don't."

The discussion intensified after Arsenal’s 2-1 victory over Chelsea in their previous league fixture, when both goals came from corners and many pundits focused less on the scoreline and more on how Arteta’s side relied on set pieces to secure the win.

That Chelsea result added to a growing statistical trend, with Arsenal now on 16 Premier League goals from corners this season, a joint record for one campaign alongside Oldham Athletic in 1992-93, West Brom in 2016-17 and Arsenal’s own 2023-24 side.

Former Newcastle United manager Alan Pardew argued that such heavy use of set pieces and accusations of time-wasting should affect how any title is viewed, suggesting that if Arsenal win the Premier League this season it "should come with an asterisk" because of their approach.

Brighton head coach Fabian Hurzeler added another layer to the debate after a 1-0 home loss to Arsenal, accusing Arteta’s players of "making their own rules" in a contest that again highlighted narrow margins and sparked analysis of game management and physical play.

Arsenal Premier League game management under scrutiny

Concerns over time-wasting grew further following data from Opta, which showed how long Arsenal took to restart against Brighton, feeding talk about how Arteta’s side manage tempo when defending leads in tight Premier League matches.

Rooney rejected those complaints and backed Arteta’s pragmatism, insisting: "I'm not saying this because I like Arsenal, I'm saying this because I think it's very unfair, the criticism they are receiving for being, what, seven points top of the league? If teams can't deal with it, do it more. That's what I'd be doing if I was Arteta. Thefocus istrying to win games in any way possible and when you're going for atitle, I don't think you have to worryhow anyone thinks about how you play, as long as you win."

Arsenal Premier League statistics and one-goal victories

The Brighton match underlined that ruthless mindset, with Arsenal registering only seven shots, fewer than in any other game this season except the EFL Cup tie at Chelsea in February, when they managed five efforts, yet still emerging with another crucial league victory.

That 1-0 success at Brighton marked Arsenal’s 10th Premier League win by a single goal this season, their highest total after 30 league matches since the 2011-12 campaign, when they also recorded 10 one-goal victories over the same stage.

Performance data from the Brighton fixture showed Arsenal’s expected goals figure at only 0.43, their lowest in any competition during the 2025-26 season, yet the points kept them clear in the Premier League and strengthened the position of Arteta’s side in the title race.

Arsenal’s pursuit of trophies also continues in knockout events, with progress to the FA Cup quarter-finals secured through a 2-1 victory against League One team Mansfield Town, helping sustain hopes of a potential quadruple alongside domestic and European commitments.

Asked specifically about Arsenal’s physical work at set pieces, Rooney said: "If the officials aren't going to do anything to stop that, and I don't even think it's a royal rumble. If you're not clever enough or you haven't got the players who can deal with that, why would Arsenal not continue to do that? Teams are finding it difficult to stop it. It's part of the game, I love it, I think it's been great. I'm sure Arteta doesn't think this but they don't have to change anything because people are moaning and complaining about it."

With Arsenal leading the Premier League, advancing in the FA Cup, awaiting Manchester City in the EFL Cup and preparing for Bayer Leverkusen in Europe, Rooney’s stance is that title contenders should ignore stylistic complaints while current methods keep delivering wins and maintain control of the season’s key objectives.