'It's a zoo!' - Tottenham star aims clear dig at Arsenal amid 'boring' tactics being deployed across Premier League

Arsenal are currently enjoying their most impressive campaign in over two decades, sitting seven points clear at the Premier League summit while remaining active in three cup competitions. Arteta has transformed the Gunners into a physical juggernaut, mastering "dark arts" and set-piece routines that have yielded 16 goals from corners alone. However, this efficiency has polarised the football industry. While they prepare for a Carabao Cup final against Manchester City and a Champions League last-16 tie with Bayer Leverkusen, critics have suggested their gamesmanship and structured approach are draining the entertainment value from the English top flight, with many other teams now trying to copy their winning formula.

Speaking on the Zack Nani Foot & Live podcast, Tel expressed his frustration with the shift towards overly structured football in the Premier League since his permanent summer move from Bayern Munich. "I’ll tell you the truth, it’s not exciting; it’s boring to watch," Tel admitted. "It’s really just a clash between two teams with their own ideas. There’s less spectacle. There’s no Vinicius [Junior] pulling off a sombrero, dribbling past you, no Kylian [Mbappe] accelerating past you. Here, I’d say it’s more structured, maybe too much so, with clear ideas, all the set pieces, little details that can sometimes make the difference. But sometimes you think it might be too much. I told the assistant coach in charge of set pieces: 'Don’t put me on that marking job'. Because it’s a zoo in the box."

The debate over Arsenal's aesthetic has divided some of the game's biggest names. Wayne Rooney has leapt to their defence, calling the criticism "very unfair." The Manchester United legend argued that if a team finds a weakness in their opponents through set-pieces, they should be praised for exploiting it. "I’ve heard over the last week a lot of people talking about Arsenal and how they’re playing," he said on his BBC podcast. "I think Arsenal have been brilliant. Football is played in different ways and Arsenal have got a good mix of a bit of everything. They’ve got different players who score goals, they’re hard to play against, they keep clean sheets and I actually enjoy watching them play.

"Set-pieces is part of football, so when Arsenal have done something which they’ve clearly worked on and teams find difficult to defend against, why would you not use it? If teams can’t deal with it, do it more. I think it’s very unfair the criticism which they are receiving."

This week could be pivotal for both Tottenham and Arsenal. The Gunners will look to maintain their title charge when they play host Everton this weekend, while Tottenham face a daunting clash against Liverpool as they fight to avoid relegation. Before then, however, both sides must turn their attention to the first leg of their Champions League round-of-16 ties. Spurs travel to Atletico Madrid on Tuesday night, while Arsenal are due to face Leverkusen in Germany on Wednesday.

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