David Moyes has hit out at critics of Arsenal’s style of play as he prepares his Everton side to face the Premier League leaders this weekend.Â
The Toffees travel to north London this Saturday for a 5.30pm kickoff at the Emirates Stadium.
Gunners boss Mikel Arteta has come in for criticism for how he sets up his team to play, with a focus on scoring from set pieces and defensive possession, time wasting and his failure to win a major trophy over the past five years. But Moyes, who managed the 43-year-old during his first stint at Everton, believes his counterpart has done a “brilliant job”.
David Moyes scoffs at Arsenal critics ahead of Everton clash
“I was going to say what criticism? They have done brilliant Arsenal. Mikel has done brilliant. I know they have been runners-up to Manchester City – well there is absolutely no shame in that, with over the last decade, how good Manchester City have been.
“He’s done a brilliant, brilliant job at Arsenal. He’s got a great team and I think they have probably as big a chance this year of winning the league as they have ever had. They are right in the mix in the Champions League, they’ve got a League Cup [final coming up], they’re in the FA Cup. So I would have to question the people who have been critical, that’s for sure.”
Moyes insisted that Arsenal’s physicality and proficiency from set pieces are not a negative thing for the English game, arguing that football would be boring if every team played “the beautiful game”.
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“What’s up with any of those things you say? You are making it sound as if that’s a problem because they are good at set-pieces and they are a strong, physical side. I don’t see any problem with any of that. It’s part of the game,” he said.
“If there’s this thing out there where everybody has to play the beautiful game and everything has to be perfect, well if we all do that then it would be boring. Football would be boring. Part of the reason you people are talking about it is because it might be slightly different from what we have seen for a few years.
“It’s giving you something to talk about, but I would hate to be going to football matches all the time and seeing football only played the one way. I want teams to play different styles and in different ways.
“We have got some unbelievable managers, and Mikel is one of them, who have come into this country and shown us what they can do. But maybe they can’t really stay with it and do it all the time. So you can bring something in, but you have got to bring something that is going to work. Mikel has been able to evolve his team and move it on. And he’s certainly got a very good team at the moment.”
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