Former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel has ignited a fierce debate after launching a scathing attack on league leaders Arsenal, accusing Mikel Arteta’s side of relying on set-pieces to such an extreme degree that he considers it tantamount to cheating.
His comments came in the wake of Arsenal’s 2-1 victory over Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium on March 1, in which both Gunners goals scored by William Saliba and Jurrien Timber came directly from corners.
Arsenal have now scored 16 Premier League goals from corners this season, tying the record for the most set-piece goals in a single Premier League campaign, and currently sit seven points clear of Manchester City at the top of the table with 67 points from 30 matches.
Mikel, speaking on talkSPORT, argued that such an approach is unworthy of a title-winning side, particularly given the quality of players at Arteta’s disposal. He pointed to the likes of Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard as examples of creative talents whose flair has been suppressed by the system, suggesting their potential has been wasted in favour of a formulaic dead-ball strategy.
The reaction to Mikel’s comments has been swift and sharp. Arsenal supporters flooded social media with accusations of hypocrisy, pointing out that Mikel himself scored just one Premier League goal in 249 appearances for Chelsea hardly a benchmark for attacking flair.
Many also drew comparisons to Chelsea’s own trophy-winning era under José Mourinho, which was widely criticised as defensive and pragmatic. While Mikel’s passion is clear, the irony of a player synonymous with conservative football labelling Arsenal’s title bid “illegal” has not been lost on fans and is likely to keep this debate burning for weeks to come.
