Arteta dismisses Arsenal style criticism after 10 wins in 11
Arsenal have won 10 out of 11 matches this season. Yet the talk around them has been about style, not results. Manager Mikel Arteta says that criticism is coming from a "very small minority".
The latest win arrived on Sunday against Nottingham Forest. The game drifted deep into the second half without a breakthrough. Then substitute Noni Madueke, brought on from the bench to change the pace, struck in the 80th minute to settle it.
Arteta admitted his side could have done things better on Sunday. He did not accept the wider claim that Arsenal are dull to watch. Most other observers, he said, have enjoyed the way his team have played and dominated games this year, according to BBC Sport.
He argued the picture is completely different to last year. Arsenal are having more possession, simply more time on the ball, and taking more shots. Different players are sharing the goals, and none so far have come from a set-piece, a corner or free-kick routine.
That detail sits at the heart of his defence. Arsenal have scored 11 goals in seven Premier League games, England's top division, at the time of reporting. In all competitions, they have yet to score a set-piece goal this campaign.
Goalkeeper David Raya was even blunter in brushing off the debate. He said the players are not irritated by questions about their style. With only one defeat in 11 games, he added: "if you call that boring or irritating, I don't know what to say".
Raya's numbers tell the story of the start. Ten wins. One loss. One late winner after another tight afternoon. It is hard to quarrel with that return, even if the performances have not always flowed.
Attention now moves to Europe. Arsenal face Bayern Munich in the Champions League, Europe's leading club competition, on Wednesday. It is a step up in glamour and threat, and a chance to show control for a full 90 minutes.
For fans, this means a strange kind of argument. Winning almost every week usually ends debates. At Arsenal right now, it has started one about how victory should look.
