Pep Guardiola has dismissed claims that Arsenal would be undeserving Premier League champions because they rely heavily on set-piece goals. He also said he is happy that his Manchester City team can score in many different ways.
Arsenal have been deadly from set pieces this season, scoring a league-high 24 goals from free-kicks, corners, and throw-ins under Mikel Arteta.
Critics, including former Manchester United and England midfielder Paul Scholes, have slammed the approach, saying Arsenal would be “the worst team to ever win the Premier League” if they lift the trophy.
Guardiola, however, disagrees. He believes Arsenal have every right to use any tactic that helps them win.
“I’m pretty sure the manager is happy and the players are so happy,” Guardiola said.
“And I’m pretty sure you ask all the Arsenal fans and they will say ‘don’t change one second our set pieces.’
“They have the feeling when it goes to set pieces, wow, I’m going to score. I’m pretty sure all the teams will want to create that vibe.
“So, enjoyable or not? Maybe, I’m not [in agreement] with the people saying ‘no, that the league is not good this season, the winner will not be good’. I don’t agree.”
Currently, Arsenal lead City by five points at the top of the Premier League, but the two teams are very different when it comes to set-piece success.
Only Nottingham Forest and Wolves have scored fewer than City’s nine set-piece goals this season. City score most of their goals from open play, with 84.2% compared to Arsenal’s 58.6%.
Guardiola admitted set pieces have become more important this season. But when reminded that City don’t score much from them, he simply said: “Good.”
He added: “We are moving in that direction. I pay more attention to set pieces than when I started my career in Barcelona, for sure. Much more.
“Of course you have to do set pieces.
“If it was not a dangerous situation I would not pay attention, but now every corner they put the chaos in the near post and far post and the second balls and this kind of stuff so of course you have to pay attention.”
Even though City don’t focus on set-piece goals as much as other teams, Guardiola insisted it doesn’t matter how you score as long as the ball goes into the net.
“I want to score goals,” he said.
“I never prepared a plan to be beautiful. No, no, no. That is a business, you have to score goals and the way you do it, it doesn’t matter.
“The important [thing] here is to score goals. When I score goals in my long throw — no, because we never use it — but a corner, a free kick, wow, I’m so delighted. I’m so happy. This is the truth.”
