Mikel Arteta has received a warning from Jose Mourinho criticizing his tactics in a few recent Arsenal games.
Mikel Arteta received a warning from former Chelsea and Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho over Arsenal’s defensive tactics in their most recent draw with Manchester City. Mourinho emphasized that these measures are not a surefire way to win.
Arsenal adopted a more defensive lineup against the defending Premier League champions last month at the Etihad Stadium, and they managed to secure a goalless draw in spite of having just 28% of the possession.
Mourinho is hesitant to give the Arsenal manager all the credit, despite the fact that many complimented Arteta’s tactical skill for limiting City to only one shot on goal.
The Portuguese meneger, who was well-known for his own defensive formations in the Premier League, played down the importance of Arteta’s strategies, saying, “In my time, it was not a magic strategy. And I won at Manchester City a few times. But it was not an amazing strategy. It was a defensive game. Park the bus. Park the double bus. It was a different perspective.”
Mourinho also criticized Arsenal’s defensive strategy by drawing attention to the team’s profusion of central defenders, implying that defensive stability is the team’s top priority in terms of strategy.
“How many central defenders do they have in the team? Sometimes they have six. As a matter of principle. Then they play in other positions. They play right-back, left-back, they play midfield. But they play with five or six central defenders on the pitch. They feel the need for defensive stability and a defensive compactness.”
Mourinho may have been a little harsh in his evaluation, but Arteta was pleased with his team’s defensive effort and commended them for their tenacity in keeping a valuable clean sheet. “I think we played excellent defense.
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“Defensively, I think we were outstanding. We had to go and put them under pressure higher up the pitch,” Arteta acknowledged the difficulties presented by City’s offensive strength.
Despite Arsenal’s defensive triumph, Arteta stressed the necessity for calmness and effectiveness in front of goal as well as the need for progress in Arsenal’s attacking performance.
