![\"Bayer](\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/GettyImages-2265442874.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646\")
\t<\/div>John Obi Mikel has accused Arsenal of \u2018cheating\u2019 their way to a Premier League title and says four players are suffering because of Mikel Arteta\u2019s \u2018ridiculous\u2019 tactics.<\/p>\n
Arsenal, who last won the Premier League in 2004, boast a seven-point lead over Manchester City at the top of the table.<\/p>\n
Man City have a game in hand over the Gunners, however, and a home match against Arteta\u2019s side to try and close the gap on Arsenal.<\/p>\n
Despite competing for all four trophies this season, Arsenal have attracted criticism for their style of play from a number of pundits and a large section of fans.<\/p>\n
Ex-Chelsea midfielder Obi Mikel says he \u2018will not recognise\u2019 Arsenal as Premier League champions if they go on to clinch the title due to their tactics and reliance on set-play goals.<\/p>\n
The two-time Premier League winner also said Arteta\u2019s tactics are having a negative impact on Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, Gabriel Martinelli and Eberechi Eze.<\/p>\n
Only Viktor Gyokeres has scored more than six Premier League goals for Arsenal this season, with captain Odegaard and winger Martinelli only netting one apiece.<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\tYour football fix\t\t\t<\/h2>\n\nMetro<\/strong>‘s Head of Sport James Goldman delivers punchy analysis, transfer talk and his take on the week’s biggest stories direct to your inbox every week.<\/p>\nSign up here, it’s an open goal.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n\n\t\t![\"Day](\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/GettyImages-2217687425.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=594\")
\t<\/div>Former Chelsea title winner John Obi Mikel (Picture: Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\u2018When I watch Arsenal\u00a0play\u00a0they depend solely on corners,\u2019 Obi Mikel told talkSPORT.<\/p>\n
\u2018You have spent almost a billion,\u00a0Mikel Arteta, and\u00a0you\u2019re\u00a0telling me the only way you can win games is through corner kicks?\u00a0It\u2019s\u00a0ridiculous.<\/p>\n
\u2018The only reason Arsenal fans are not complaining about the style of football is because\u00a0they\u2019re\u00a0top of the league.<\/p>\n
\n\n\n\n\u274c “I wouldn’t recognise Arsenal as winners!”\ud83d\ude21 “For me, they’ve cheated their way to winning the Premier League!”John Obi Mikel really, really doesn’t like the way #AFC<\/a> are using set pieces to win the Premier League\u2026 \ud83d\udc40 pic.twitter.com\/x9nUFpFyI3<\/a><\/p>\n\u2014 talkSPORT (@talkSPORT) March 11, 2026<\/a>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n\u2018The creativity they have, the potential they have \u2014\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0all gone out of the window.\u00a0We\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0see the likes of Bukayo Saka,\u00a0Gabriel Martinelli, Eberechi Eze,\u00a0Martin Odegaard\u00a0anymore\u00a0because they depend solely on corners.<\/p>\n
\u2018If they win playing like this, I\u00a0wouldn\u2019t\u00a0recognise them as winners.\u00a0For me\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0a cheat.\u00a0They\u2019ve\u00a0cheated their way to winning the Premier League.<\/p>\n
\u2018It\u2019s\u00a0illegal the way\u00a0they\u2019re\u00a0winning games and the Premier League should stamp it out\u00a0because we\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0want to see it.<\/p>\n
\u2018You\u00a0can\u2019t\u00a0play like this when\u00a0you\u2019ve\u00a0spent a billion, there\u2019s so much creativity in the squad \u2013 Eze, Odegaard, Saka \u2013 let them express themselves. They are so rigid and dependent on corner kicks.\u2019<\/p>\n
Kai Havertz\u2019s late penalty earned Arsenal a 1-1 draw in their Champions League last-16 first-leg against Bayer Leverkusen on Wednesday night.<\/p>\n
Speaking after the draw, Arteta said: \u2018The game had different phases, some in the first half when we were very dominant and we had a big chance.<\/p>\n\n\n\t\t![\"Bayer](\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/GettyImages-2266000588.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=594\")
\t<\/div>Chelsea drew 1-1 with Bayer Leverkusen (Picture: Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\u2018When you miss those chances, obviously the game can change. Then after that, we didn\u2019t finish enough actions, every time we got in and around the box, we gave the ball away and that allowed certain counter-attacks and that was very unlike us.<\/p>\n
\u2018Without really considering anything, we needed to show certain things. We discussed that at half-time and we expected to start very fast, especially because we knew certain routines that they have on kick-offs, because they had three at the weekend and still, we got caught.<\/p>\n
\u2018We weren\u2019t ready enough; we conceded a chance on the header and after that we conceded the goal.<\/p>\n
\u2018So, when you give that hope and advantage to the opponent at that level, they\u2019re going to take it and then we had to really dig in because emotionally it becomes a very different challenge.<\/p>\n
\u2018We had 10-15 minutes that we didn\u2019t really have enough threat and enough understanding of how we had to attack that block, but in the last 20 minutes, 25, with the changes I think it was much better.<\/p>\n
\u2018In the end, we found a way to score the goal and draw the game.\u2019<\/p>\n
Arsenal continue their Premier League title charge against Everton this weekend before the second leg against Bayer Leverkusen on Tuesday night.<\/p>\n
For more stories like this,\u00a0check our sport page<\/strong>.<\/p>\nFollow Metro Sport for the latest news on
\nFacebook,\u00a0<\/strong>Twitter<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Instagram<\/strong>.<\/p>\n
Metro<\/strong>‘s Head of Sport James Goldman delivers punchy analysis, transfer talk and his take on the week’s biggest stories direct to your inbox every week.<\/p>\n Sign up here, it’s an open goal.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n \u2018When I watch Arsenal\u00a0play\u00a0they depend solely on corners,\u2019 Obi Mikel told talkSPORT.<\/p>\n \u2018You have spent almost a billion,\u00a0Mikel Arteta, and\u00a0you\u2019re\u00a0telling me the only way you can win games is through corner kicks?\u00a0It\u2019s\u00a0ridiculous.<\/p>\n \u2018The only reason Arsenal fans are not complaining about the style of football is because\u00a0they\u2019re\u00a0top of the league.<\/p>\n \u274c “I wouldn’t recognise Arsenal as winners!”\ud83d\ude21 “For me, they’ve cheated their way to winning the Premier League!”John Obi Mikel really, really doesn’t like the way #AFC<\/a> are using set pieces to win the Premier League\u2026 \ud83d\udc40 pic.twitter.com\/x9nUFpFyI3<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 talkSPORT (@talkSPORT) March 11, 2026<\/a>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n \u2018The creativity they have, the potential they have \u2014\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0all gone out of the window.\u00a0We\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0see the likes of Bukayo Saka,\u00a0Gabriel Martinelli, Eberechi Eze,\u00a0Martin Odegaard\u00a0anymore\u00a0because they depend solely on corners.<\/p>\n \u2018If they win playing like this, I\u00a0wouldn\u2019t\u00a0recognise them as winners.\u00a0For me\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0a cheat.\u00a0They\u2019ve\u00a0cheated their way to winning the Premier League.<\/p>\n \u2018It\u2019s\u00a0illegal the way\u00a0they\u2019re\u00a0winning games and the Premier League should stamp it out\u00a0because we\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0want to see it.<\/p>\n \u2018You\u00a0can\u2019t\u00a0play like this when\u00a0you\u2019ve\u00a0spent a billion, there\u2019s so much creativity in the squad \u2013 Eze, Odegaard, Saka \u2013 let them express themselves. They are so rigid and dependent on corner kicks.\u2019<\/p>\n Kai Havertz\u2019s late penalty earned Arsenal a 1-1 draw in their Champions League last-16 first-leg against Bayer Leverkusen on Wednesday night.<\/p>\n Speaking after the draw, Arteta said: \u2018The game had different phases, some in the first half when we were very dominant and we had a big chance.<\/p>\n \u2018When you miss those chances, obviously the game can change. Then after that, we didn\u2019t finish enough actions, every time we got in and around the box, we gave the ball away and that allowed certain counter-attacks and that was very unlike us.<\/p>\n \u2018Without really considering anything, we needed to show certain things. We discussed that at half-time and we expected to start very fast, especially because we knew certain routines that they have on kick-offs, because they had three at the weekend and still, we got caught.<\/p>\n \u2018We weren\u2019t ready enough; we conceded a chance on the header and after that we conceded the goal.<\/p>\n \u2018So, when you give that hope and advantage to the opponent at that level, they\u2019re going to take it and then we had to really dig in because emotionally it becomes a very different challenge.<\/p>\n \u2018We had 10-15 minutes that we didn\u2019t really have enough threat and enough understanding of how we had to attack that block, but in the last 20 minutes, 25, with the changes I think it was much better.<\/p>\n \u2018In the end, we found a way to score the goal and draw the game.\u2019<\/p>\n Arsenal continue their Premier League title charge against Everton this weekend before the second leg against Bayer Leverkusen on Tuesday night.<\/p>\n For more stories like this,\u00a0check our sport page<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on \t<\/div>\n
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