Arsenal's Set-Piece Wizards Under Fire: Rice and Rooney Laugh Off the Haters

Picture this: Arsenal are topping the Premier League by seven points, yet the football world is up in arms about their secret weapon – set pieces. Declan Rice, the midfield enforcer, has had enough of the whinging. Speaking to The i Paper, he pointed out that the Gunners have bagged 19 goals from corners and free-kicks this season – miles ahead of anyone else. "Everyone chats about it, then copies it," he quipped. "But no one's doing it like us."

It's true. While rivals scramble for five at best, Arsenal are doubling some teams' tallies. Rice admits there's room to improve, but why fix what ain't broke when you're dismantling defences from dead balls?

Critics Cry Foul in the Box

The grumbles have ramped up lately, sparked by Liverpool boss Arne Slot after Arsenal's 2-1 grind over Chelsea – a match with three set-piece strikes. Slot called modern footy "not a pleasure" to watch, slamming the lack of clamps on box wrestling. Fair play, or sour grapes?

Tottenham's Mathys Tel piled on during a ZACK chat, dubbing corner penalty areas a "zoo". "Everyone's shoving, grabbing, the keeper's blind," he moaned. Tel reckons the Premier League has lost its sparkle – too structured, too set-piece heavy, missing those Vinicius Junior nutmegs or Kylian Mbappé sprints. "It's annoying," he sighed, craving more flair over tactical chess.

Meanwhile, Arsenal defender Piero Hincapie swatted away the noise in Sport Bild. With 38% of their 58 league goals from dead balls – thanks to set-piece guru Nicolas Jover – he insisted it's all above board. "We're perfectionists," Hincapie declared. Daily drills have made them Europe's corner kings, and he's buzzing to score from them.

Rooney and Rice: Keep Calm and Corner On

Enter Wayne Rooney, United's record scorer, who's loving it. On his podcast, the ex-Red Devil called Arsenal "brilliant" and urged Mikel Arteta to lean in harder. "Set pieces are football! If teams can't handle it, tough luck," he roared. Rooney even nodded to United's last title – won without fireworks, but who's counting?

"The criticism's bang out of order," Rooney added. It's not blind loyalty; he genuinely rates their grit. Rice echoes that, baffled why success from smarts gets stick. Hincapie prioritises silverware over silky skills – first title in 20 years trumps TikTok highlights.

Arsenal's evolution under Arteta is pragmatic gold. From flowing attackers to robust winners, they're seven clear after 30 games, eyeing Man City in the rear-view. Critics like Slot and Tel hanker for chaos, but in a title scrap, results rule. As Hincapie put it, details win trophies.

So, next time you're moaning about a corner scrum, remember: it's legal, lethal, and leading the league. Arsenal aren't bending rules – they're rewriting the script. Fancy a pint to toast the Gunners' dark arts?