Mikel Obi Slams Arsenal’s Setpiece Tactics, Sends Message to EPL Referees
- Mikel Obi has ripped apart Arsenal's tactics, saying their new way of scoring from setpieces is illegal
- The former Chelsea star warned Premier League referees to prevent such gimmicks from happening going forward
- According to him, Arsenal players deliberately impede goalkeepers during setpieces just to gain an advantage
Former Chelsea midfielder Mikel Obi minced no words when he said Arsenal's new goal-scoring tactics are illegal.
The Gunners scored their Premier League-leading sixth and seventh dead-ball goals of the season in their 2-0 victory over Manchester United.
Three points in the Premier League fixture helped them close the gap to league leaders Liverpool to seven points.
Source: Getty Images
Arsenal had more chances to score against their old rivals, but it was from corners that they found the back of the net twice.
Many players encroached inside the six-yard box, leaving the goalkeeper hapless with Arsenal players taking advantage to find the back of the net, talkSPORT reports.
Mikel laments Arsenal's tactics
The tactics seem to have infuriated Mikel, who lamented that the gimmick is illegal. The former Nigerian international said on the YouTube Channel Obione Podcast:
"Those set pieces are illegal. For me, those goals should not stand. What they are doing to the goalkeeper is illegal.
"I don't think that should stand because those players have no intention of playing the ball.
"What they're there is to pin the goalkeeper down, ibstruct him from coming out; not just obstruct, they actually block him.
"If a goalkeeper is trying to come out to claim, there's no chance. I mean, Ben White does that all the time and gets away with it. It's incredible.
"Not just him, Saliba also, both of them come and impede the goalkeeper from coming out. For me that's illegal.
He urged match officials to halt such tactics, saying other teams will also emulate it. He added:
"For me, the referees should cut that out; they need to stop it right now because if they don't, a lot of these clubs will start it, too."
Arsenal fans hail new regulation
Legit.ng earlier reported that Arsenal Football Club supporters are delighted with the new regulation, which could result in more corner kicks for their team.
The Emirates Stadium outfit has enjoyed a number of setpieces, which have resulted in goals.
Both goals in their victory over arch-rivals Manchester United were a result of corner kicks.
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Source: Legit.ng
