The debate around Arsenal’s playing style this season refuses to die down. As the Gunners push hard for a first Premier League title in over two decades, critics and admirers alike keep arguing : does their game deserve a trophy ? The question cuts straight to the heart of football philosophy.
Set-pieces, physicality and the ugly football debate
Few tactical elements divide opinion more sharply than set-piece dominance. Mikel Arteta has built a system that squeezes every possible advantage from dead-ball situations, and the results speak clearly. Yet some rivals remain openly uncomfortable with this approach.
Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler voiced his reservations publicly, both before and after his side’s 1-0 defeat to Arsenal earlier this month. Rather than letting tensions fester, Arteta and Hurzeler exchanged text messages. Hurzeler confirmed the two had a good exchange, adding : “He shared his opinion and I shared mine. That is what football is about, everyone defending their side.” He also made his position clear : “If they win the Premier League, they definitely deserve it.”
The German coach’s comments reveal something important. Even critics of Arsenal’s methods ultimately acknowledge their legitimacy. Winning through set-pieces is not cheating — it is preparation, intelligence, and execution at the highest level.
David Moyes, current Everton manager and someone who knows Arteta well — the Arsenal boss spent five years as an Everton player under him — offered a blunt and direct defence. “You are making it sound as if it is a problem because they are good at set-pieces and they are a strong, physical side,” Moyes said. “I don’t see any problem. It’s part of the game.” Moyes also pointed to what he called Arteta’s dark arts, a pragmatic edge that every top manager eventually develops. “You have got to find ways of winning, that is part of the job. Winning is the thing that really matters.“
Arteta himself has described Moyes as “one of the greatest Premier League managers”, noting conversations between the two throughout this season. Their shared history adds weight to this mutual respect.
Other title winners who were far from pretty
History shows that winning ugly is not a new concept in the Premier League. Several champions have claimed their titles through pragmatism, resilience, and ruthless efficiency rather than free-flowing football.
Consider Leicester City’s miraculous 2015-16 title. Their campaign was built on lightning counter-attacks and defensive solidity, but the underlying numbers are revealing :
- Ten of their 68 goals came directly from the penalty spot.
- They recorded the fewest shots and fewest touches in the opposition box on record that season.
- Fourteen of their 23 wins — that is 61% — came by a single goal margin.
Nobody seriously questioned whether Leicester deserved their trophy. Their achievement remains one of English football’s greatest stories. But beautiful football was rarely the point.
The famous chant ‘1-0 to the Arsenal’ has followed the club for decades. Interestingly, only five of Arsenal’s 20 Premier League wins this season have come by that exact scoreline. Compare that with some of the most celebrated title-winning sides in the competition’s history :
| Team | Season | 1-0 wins |
|---|---|---|
| Chelsea | 2004-05 | 11 |
| Manchester United | 2008-09 | 10 |
| Arsenal | 2025-26 | 5 |
José Mourinho’s Chelsea ground out eleven 1-0 victories in a single campaign. Sir Alex Ferguson’s United managed ten. Yet both sides are remembered as worthy champions. By this measure alone, Arsenal are actually less defensively conservative than those revered title winners.
Why Arsenal’s title credentials stand firm
Wayne Rooney, five-time Premier League champion himself, rejected the criticism with characteristic directness. Speaking on his own show this week, he said : “I’ve heard a lot of people talking about Arsenal and how they’re playing. I think Arsenal have been brilliant. I actually enjoy watching them play. Set-pieces are part of football — why would you not use it ?”
His view reflects what most neutral observers recognise. Tactical intelligence at set-pieces is a skill that clubs spend enormous resources developing. Dismissing it as ugly misses the point entirely.
Beyond the set-piece question, Arsenal remain in contention for all four major trophies this season — a feat that demands consistency, depth, and quality across every competition. Their next Premier League fixture sees them host Everton on Saturday, with Arteta fully aware that every point now carries enormous weight.
The broader debate around what constitutes attractive football will never reach a clean resolution. Some fans prize possession and invention. Others value organisation, intensity, and winning margins. Most title-winning sides in Premier League history have borrowed from both philosophies. Arteta’s Arsenal are no different. They press, they create, they defend hard, and they exploit set-pieces with devastating precision.
Calling them the ugliest potential champions ignores both context and history. It also ignores the simple, enduring truth that Moyes articulated so well : finding ways to win is the entire point of professional football. If Arsenal lift the trophy this May, the debate will fade quickly — as it always does when the silverware arrives.