London: As Arsenal chase the Premier League title, former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel has added his voice to the growing critiques of the Gunners' style of play. Currently leading the table by seven points with eight games to go, Arsenal's method of grinding out results, particularly through set pieces, has come under scrutiny and Mikel doesn't hold back.
According to Ghana Web, Mikel expressed strong opinions in an interview with talkSPORT, stating, 'I will not recognize Arsenal as Premier League champions. For me, they have cheated to win the Premier League because, in my opinion, the way they win is illegal.' He specifically highlighted the Gunners' corner-kick tactics. 'When I watch Arsenal play right now, they simply rely on corner kicks. For me, every time I see them at a corner or a set piece, what they do is illegal. You can't do that,' he added.
Mikel elaborated on the practices he finds objectionable, focusing on tactics he believes bend the rules. 'First of all, they block the goalkeeper, and now they've started holding players. When you hold a player, you stop that player from jumping. We don't want to see things like that in football,' he said.
The former Nigeria international also questioned the scale of Arsenal's investment versus their methods. 'You've spent almost a billion pounds, and you want to tell me the only way you can win matches is through corner kicks? That's ridiculous,' he added.