Mikel Arteta blasted for 'strange' Sunderland criticism as Arsenal manager told to do his job
Chris Waddle has slammed Mikel Arteta for his supposed criticism of Sunderland's tactics as the Arsenal manager was told to stick to his own job. The Gunners boss' frustration was palpable after his side let a precious victory slip through their fingers in stoppage time and had to settle for a point instead in Saturday's 2-2 draw.
Brobbey breaks Arsenal hearts
Arsenal’s struggles began 10 minutes before the interval when ex-Gunner Dan Ballard punished his old side. The Sunderland defender latched onto a smart pass from Nordi Mukiele and lashed his finish past Raya from close range. From there, Arsenal had to chase the game, and Arteta’s men came out swinging after the break. Their pressure told early in the second half when Bukayo Saka capitalised on an error from Enzo Le Fee to smash home the equaliser. Moments later, Martin Zubimendi rattled the crossbar before Leandro Trossard, who has been one of Arsenal’s most reliable and clutch players this season, rifled in a spectacular long-range drive to put the visitors 2-1 up. At that point, it looked as though Arsenal’s quality and persistence had won the day. But Brian Brobbey’s late intervention tore up the script. That late strike from the Dutch striker saw Arsenal’s lead at the summit trimmed to just four points after 11 rounds of league fixtures.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportArteta pointed finger at 'disruptive' tactics
After the match, Arteta’s tone was one of frustration. He praised his players for their reaction but couldn’t resist a dig at Sunderland’s defensive approach.
"We have to navigate through a really tough game," he said. "We knew that, it was very disruptive. We have to deal with situations, obviously, that are difficult to deal with. They do it really well and we conceded a goal that is not in our standards. But after that, I think the team reacted really well, showed a lot of personality and courage. They scored the first goal, they scored the second goal and we totally dominated the game.
"You have to rely on defending the box when they start to commit six or seven players there. It can be from a direct play, it can be from a throw-in, it can be from any situation. We can defend the action better, and today we haven't done it; we conceded the goal."
Waddle fires back at Arteta
Waddle was unimpressed by Arteta’s complaints. The former Sunderland man, who had a short spell at the club in 1997, said that managers should focus on overcoming problems rather than criticising opponents for playing smart.
"It’s always strange to criticise your opponent’s tactics, at the end of the day," he told in an interview with . "You know, the whole point of football is to get a result. It’s a game. You have to work out how to get results and win, and at least avoid defeat. You work out how to get the best out of your team and cause problems to the opposition. You come up with a plan, and if it works, then you’ve done your job well, so I wouldn’t criticise Sunderland.
"People could talk about Arsenal, about how they park the bus and rely on set-pieces. Everyone wants to have a dig at everyone else’s tactics, but it’s your job to find the weaknesses and exploit them, or spot a good tactic and use it yourself. This time, Sunderland worked out how to get a point, so the manager got it right. It might make it harder to break down sides if they park the bus, but it’s your job to figure out how to break it down. It’s up to you, and you don’t moan about it. You figure it out and you overcome it, and then you get a little smile on your face that a team sat back and they still couldn’t stop you. Obviously, Arteta wasn’t happy, but Sunderland had their game plan and it worked."
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Getty Images SportLe Bris' cunning pre-match tweak to thwart Arsenal
Sunderland boss Regis Le Bris, meanwhile, revealed one cheeky tactical adjustment that helped stifle Arsenal’s usually dangerous long throws. The Frenchman admitted his staff moved the advertising hoardings closer to the touchline before kick-off, reducing the space for Arsenal players to wind up their powerful throws into the box. The tweak was small but effective as Sunderland’s defenders had fewer deep deliveries to deal with and managed to keep the Gunners’ aerial threat to a minimum. Although Arteta did not comment on this tactic, the Spaniard might have a thing or two to say on this sly tactical adjustment.
Le Bris told when quizzed about the hoardings: "Yeah, we tried to find the details to win the game. They are really strong on set-pieces, and we were good as well. It was absolutely obvious this threat was really important for this game, and in the end, it was balanced."