Recently, former Tottenham midfielder O'Hara criticized Arsenal's reliance on set-piece tactics in an interview with Sky Sports. He said that Arsenal's reliance on set-piece tactics is "killing the Premier League."
Arsenal's defense under Arteta is solid, Gabriel and Saliba are considered one of the best central defender combinations in European football, and the team's threat from set pieces has become a valuable weapon. So far this season, 10 of Arsenal's 15 goals in the league have come from set pieces, which has drawn mixed reviews from fans and commentators.
O'Hara said: "I can't stand it, I hate it. This tactic is killing the game, especially the Premier League." When talking about the rise of long throws, O'Hara said, "Football now is like watching non-professional leagues."
O'Hara believes that Arsenal is the originator of this tactic, and that their set-piece and long-distance throw-in tactics have "killed smooth football and spectator football in the Premier League."
When someone pointed out that Arsenal still played well, O'Hara retorted: "No, they're not beautiful. Arsenal are just the best at set pieces and long throw-ins, but other teams are imitating them and can't do it as well. I've seen some teams try long throw-ins , but they don’t even have anyone who can throw it far! But everyone is trying to do this. This tactic is too simple.”
He further explained: “What can you bring about by squeezing players into the penalty area and then throwing it in, maybe getting a header or creating a ball. Create an opportunity. It's so boring to watch, it's not like the top flight. We are talking about the Premier League, which is where the best players should be. "
"I understand that in the last few minutes of the game, the team hopes to create some chaos through long passes. But every game is played like this: pause, start, pause again, start again, which is really unacceptable. Where has the past style of quick passing, precise crosses, and breakthroughs to the baseline gone? That's what Frank did at Tottenham and I didn't like that style. I'm not a fan of this style of play and I think it's ruining the Premier League. "