- Arsenal have been accused of using the ‘dark arts’ throughout the campaign
- Now, Mikel Arteta has been seen testing the three principles of his tactics.
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Three principles of Arsenal’s ‘dark arts’ tactics have apparently been revealed after Mikel Arteta was seen checking his notebook on Saturday afternoon.
Throughout the season, the Gunners have been accused of wasting a lot of time on set-piece situations and many have suggested that Arteta’s team use the “dark arts” of football.
It has generated a range of expert opinions, with Ian Wright approving of the approach, while Roy Keane heavily criticized Arsenal after their draw with Manchester City last month.
Now, following Arsenal’s recent 3-1 win over Southampton, it has been revealed what some of the tenets of Arteta’s tactics are after his notes were caught on camera.
A sheet of paper, which had a red header and footer, appeared to show positions in the field with various instructions.
The principles of Arsenal’s ‘dark arts’ tactics were revealed after Mikel Arteta was seen checking his notebook.
The Spaniard had three principles written in his notebook during the victory in Southampton
However, the exact notes on that paper were difficult to decipher.
On the other sheet, one of the three principles said: ‘AR strength 6 yards’.
This probably refers to former Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale and a plan to force him to play from his six-yard box.
Below that, it said: ‘Force our…’ with the rest of the message hidden by Arteta’s hand.
A third and final point states: “Avoid change…”
Arteta’s tactical approach evidently paid off as the Gunners took all three points thanks to goals from Kai Havertz, Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka.
Arsenal’s tactics during the second half of last month’s 2-2 draw at Manchester City have continued to divide opinion.
After Leandro Trossard was sent off just before half-time, with the Gunners leading 2-1, Arteta’s side were widely praised for frustrating City, who only managed to score an equalizer in the 98th minute.
However, others were less impressed with what they described as a waste of time and even “dark arts.”
Former England manager Sam Allardyce was asked his opinion on Arsenal’s tactics during an appearance on talkSPORT.
Allardyce clearly approved of how Arteta’s men stifled City’s flow, having deployed similar tactics against some of the Premier League’s biggest teams while in charge of Bolton Wanderers in the 2000s.
During their clash with City, Arsenal were accused of using the ‘dark arts’ and wasting time
Gabriel Martinelli was one of the players receiving treatment as Arsenal tried to hold on for a famous victory.
Asked if he was a “master of the dark arts” during his managerial career, Allardyce replied: “Aren’t we all when we should be?”
“Depending on what the situation is, I think when you play with 10 men you have the right to do whatever you think is necessary to get a result against the best team in Europe, if not the world.”
‘What an excellent job they (Arsenal) did. There will always be loss of time.
After the Gunners were accused of using the “dark arts” in their draw with City, footage resurfaced of Arsenal appearing to deliberately dawdle during a crucial match against Liverpool at Anfield last year.
