Mikel Arteta has dismissed Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim’s criticism of Arsenal’s alleged reliance on set-pieces, insisting his side want to “exploit the weaknesses” of their opponents.
The Gunners got their way 2-0 win over the Red Devils on Wednesday night thanks to goals from Jurrien Timber and William Saliba, with both strikes coming from well-taken second-half corners.
United manager Amorim revealed his disappointment with Arsenal’s expertise after the game, claiming the North Londoners “were not playing well” and wingers Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli were trying to win set-pieces from wide positions.
However, Arteta dismissed the Portuguese’s complaints, saying his side must “look from every angle” to “exploit the opposition’s weaknesses”.
He told reporters: “We play inverted wingers, so they also double inside a lot of times, so there’s not a lot of space inside.
“When they go off, it leaves a lot of space for the six or the full-back, and if not, it’s for the nine, and then you can go out. So we have to look at every angle: what they’re doing, where they’re weak, and then we can exploit the weaknesses of the opposition”.
Asked if teams are now afraid of conceding corners to Arsenal, Arteta added: “I don’t know. We’re working on what we’re working on. We attack in different ways in the box. That’s one way we attack in the box and we’re very effective. We’ll find ways to keep improving”.
Arsenal they remain third in the Premier League but it cut Liverpool’s lead at the top of the table to seven points after the Reds fell 3-3 draw with Newcastle at St James’ Park.
