'Arsenal's "dark art" criticized as soulless and dull

Despite Arsenal maintaining their top spot in the Premier League, coach Mikel Arteta faces harsh criticism for a boring style of play that made former presenter Jeff Stelling switch off the TV midway.

A 1-0 victory over Crystal Palace keeps Arsenal at the summit of the Premier League, but the playing style under coach Mikel Arteta is leaving many neutral fans unimpressed.

While Arsenal supporters remain excited by their team's winning streak, outsiders feel the club is becoming "soulless" and overly reliant on set-piece situations.

Jeff Stelling, former host of Sky Sports' Soccer Saturday, recently admitted he turned off the TV halfway through watching Arsenal versus Crystal Palace because he was too… bored. On talkSPORT, Stelling described Arsenal’s performance as "a torture" for neutral viewers.

“You can’t keep relying on set pieces like that. This was the fourth 1-0 win in nine Premier League games this season for Arsenal. They have fantastic players like Saka, Odegaard, Eze, but the football is just too dull.

Watching Arsenal against Palace was like watching paint dry. They didn’t have a shot until the 33rd minute, and I changed the channel even before they scored,” Stelling shared.

In fact, the only goal of the match came from a set-piece situation, which has become a hallmark for Arsenal this season. Eberechi Eze, a product of Palace’s academy, scored from a rebound inside the box, securing a narrow win for Arsenal. This was the ninth goal from set pieces out of Arsenal’s 14 Premier League goals this season.

Not only Jeff Stelling, but former Tottenham and Portsmouth midfielder Jamie O’Hara also openly criticized Arsenal, claiming the team has "ruined" the excitement of the Premier League.

“It’s unbelievable that top teams now also play long throw-ins and complicated set pieces. It all started with Arsenal. They have eliminated free-flowing, beautiful football,”O’Hara said.

Nevertheless, coach Mikel Arteta remained calm in the face of criticism. After the match, he stated:

“No matter how you score, the value of the goal is the same. As fitness improves and space tightens, you have to find every possible way to score. That’s what all top teams are doing.”