Pep Guardiola, manager of Manchester City F.C., has responded to critics who claim that Arsenal F.C. would be undeserving winners of the Premier League title this season.
The Gunners have faced criticism for relying heavily on set-pieces, having scored 24 goals from throw-ins, corner-kicks, and free-kicks — the highest total in the league.
Former Manchester United F.C. midfielder Paul Scholes had earlier claimed that Mikel Arteta’s side would be “the worst team to ever win the Premier League”.
However, Guardiola defended the right of managers to adopt any playing style that helps them win matches.
He said: “Maybe, I’m not [in agreement] with the people saying ‘no, that the league is not good this season, the winner will not be good’. I don’t agree.”
Statistics show that City have scored 84.2 percent of their goals from open play, compared to Arsenal’s 58.6 percent.