Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice has hit back at claims that his team is ‘cheating’ during Premier League matches, defending their tactics as a legitimate part of football. The Gunners, who are aiming for their first Premier League title since 2004, faced criticism following their 2-2 draw against Manchester City earlier this month.
During the match at the Etihad Stadium, several Manchester City players accused Arsenal of ‘time-wasting’ after the visitors, reduced to ten men, tried to hold on for a win. Days later, Sky Sports pundit Graeme Souness intensified the scrutiny by accusing Arsenal of ‘conning referees’ with their use of blockers during set-pieces.
Arsenal have been particularly effective from set-pieces this season, scoring more goals from these situations than any other Premier League team. Souness suggested that referees should be more aware of what he believes are underhand tactics, urging them to “wake up” to the team’s strategies.
Rice, however, dismissed the cheating claims, insisting that Arsenal’s set-piece approach is simply about exploiting opponents’ weaknesses.
“I think we do a little bit of work [on the delivery of set-pieces] when we can,” Rice explained when asked about Arsenal’s success in dead-ball situations. “With the busy game schedule, it’s tough to get on the pitch and really practise, so we have internal discussions about what we want to do.
“People talk about us blocking or making fouls, but I don’t think there’s been one foul involved in the set-piece goals we’ve scored this season. Teams do it to us, and we’re just trying to exploit their weaknesses. It’s part of the game.”
Rice pointed to Arsenal’s recent 4-2 victory over Leicester City as an example of how their set-piece tactics have paid off. In that match, the Gunners scored two injury-time goals to secure a dramatic win, keeping them third in the Premier League standings, just one point behind leaders Liverpool.
Following the Leicester match, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta praised his team’s performance. “I’m very happy, first of all, with the performance. I think we were unbelievable,” Arteta told BBC Sport. “We deserved to win by more goals. After conceding the first goal early in the second half, the team showed incredible character to keep pushing and creating chances.”
Arteta acknowledged that Arsenal had “suffered more than we should have” but expressed satisfaction with the overall result. “This is football. I’m really happy with the team.”
Looking ahead, Arsenal now shifts focus to their Champions League campaign, with a crucial match against French champions Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday night. Following that, they will host struggling Southampton in the Premier League. Southampton, along with Ipswich Town, Leicester City, Wolves, and Crystal Palace, are yet to secure a win this season.