Defence against the ‘dark arts’
Mikel Arteta has been on the offensive in the past week, hitting out at critics who had criticised the Gunners conservative style of play after being reduced to 10-men at the Etihad last weekend.
The Arsenal boss claimed in the aftermath of the match that he would have been ‘very thick’ to have attacked Man City when leading 2-1 with 10-men.
Roy Keane has since claimed Arsenal showed a ‘small mentality’ with their approach, while another ex-Man United player Paul Scholes used the word ‘cheating’.
Former Arsenal defender Martin Keown and ex-Bolton manager Sam Allardyce have been among those to defend the Gunners.
‘I want to win. The way we prepare the games and the way we want to play — in our way,’ Arteta said at his press conference on Friday.
‘But understanding the context. I want to wear flip flops, shorts and a t-shirt, but with this weather? I think I would be very silly to do that. “I am very brave” — yeah, but tomorrow you are sick.’
Arteta’s side, you suspect, will be on the attack today however against at Leicester side with Jamie Vardy in their ranks. You sense he would contender himself a specialist in the dark arts.
