Mikel Arteta has hit back at Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville’s claims that Arsenal play with the “handbrake on” following their 1-1 draw with Manchester City
Mikel Arteta has blasted claims that he adopts a cautious approach and declared his tactical blueprint at Arsenal is the most attacking in English football.
Sky Sports pundits Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher both suggested Arsenal prioritised defence at home against Manchester City and blamed him for “having the handbrake on” through his team selection and strategy in the 1-1 draw, following criticism that he did the same in the 1-0 defeat to Liverpool at Anfield last month. Focus has centred on him playing three defensive-minded midfielders – Martin Zubimendi, Mikel Merino and Declan Rice – in both games.
But speaking before Arsenal’s Carabao Cup clash with Port Vale, Arteta launched into a passionate defence of how he has gathered an abundance of attacking flair and claimed even his shot-stoppers are geared towards going forward. Arteta highlighted players like goalkeeper David Raya, centre-back Gabriel and midfielder Merino as prime examples of forward-thinking stars, reports the Mirror.
The Arsenal manager declared: “For sure, if you look at the players that we have, starting from the keeper, very attacking goalkeeper, the most attacking goalkeeper in the league by far.
“The centre backs, the most attacking one, in one phase the most attacking one. The two full-backs, you look at every stat, that’s it. We mainly play with a player on the right-hand side attacking midfield, he played as a nine last year.
“So how attacking that is, more than a nine playing in midfield, I haven’t seen it in the league.
“So I think we have a lot of attacking, different qualities of attacking players, some of them more talented in some areas than others in relation to the game that we play.
“I think when you look at the winning record on this football club, the goals that we scored, the clean sheet that we had, the way we played against Manchester City, in the territory we played against Man City. I cannot waste that opportunity.
“And if the intention of those comments, which ones are the good ones, positive, to be better for us, not to be so good for us, it depends where the comment is coming from. That’s when I can analyse it.
“So, how can you be dominant against such a team if you have, what was the word? Handbrake. Dominance and handbrake, they are two different words. But I accept everything. I will learn more to have a different vision.
“What is the intention, what is the purpose of that? Because I had a lot of messages to my phone, they could not believe what we did to Manchester City. People, coaches, managers, CEOs, presidents, so proud.
“I look at the players and the people around. I am much more filled and fuelled with that than with other ones that didn’t make it.”
Arteta is expected to shuffle his pack at Port Vale with goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga poised to get the nod, and there could be an opportunity for 15-year-old Max Dowman with Noni Madueke sidelined for six to eight weeks.
Arteta gushed: “Everybody loves Max. You just want to hug him, help him. He’s such a nice boy as well, and he’s very much liked by everybody here.”
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