Arne Slot Throws Shade at Arsenal with Brutal "Not a Pleasure" Jab as Familiar Pattern Emerges
Liverpool boss Arne Slot disclosed that the majority of Premier League matches are "not enjoyable" for him to observe due to the heavy dependence on set pieces, best demonstrated by current table-toppers Arsenal.
Slot's stylistic purist views ironically emerged following his Liverpool team's victory over West Ham United, aided by three corner-kick goals. The tactical discussion was heightened by Arsenal's 2–1 triumph against Chelsea on Sunday, which similarly showcased three goals from dead-ball situations.
"When I observe other competitions, I don't witness such heavy focus on set pieces," the Reds manager complained. "In the Eredivisie, I see goals being ruled out and fouls against keepers being called and I think: 'Wow, what a significant contrast.'
"In this league, you can nearly strike a goalkeeper in the head and the official still declares, 'Continue playing.' Do I appreciate that? My soul as a former player doesn't enjoy it. When you ask me about football philosophy, I consider the Barcelona squad from 10, 15 years past. Every weekend you anticipated watching them perform.
"The majority of matches I observe in the Premier League aren't enjoyable for me, but they remain fascinating because they are extremely competitive."
Slot's public complaint gained extensive support from neutrals, though not everyone was equally sympathetic.
Mikel Arteta: It's Not Ugly
Mikel Arteta: It's Not Ugly
Mikel Arteta wasn't the pioneer in championing set-piece specialization—the data analytics revolution at the dawn of the 21st century quickly identified that this game element, among the few controllable aspects in such an unpredictable sport that can be properly rehearsed, wasn't being maximally utilized. Nevertheless, his Arsenal squad has become the flagship example of contemporary fixation given their dead-ball supremacy.
Predictably, as the individual gaining most from the physical approach to this game component, Arteta provided a rebuttal to Slot—Darth Vader never criticized the Death Star's efficiency.
"It's not unattractive, you must engage in the match that's available for you to contest, and versus Chelsea, you understand precisely the contest you'll face," Arteta contended this weekend.
"For me, it's an attractive match to contest because there's tremendous skill and you must adjust significantly to their approach, and they must respond similarly against us, so the differences are extremely narrow, and the individual battles ultimately determine these types of matches."
Premier League's Set-Piece Obsession in Numbers
Premier League's Set-Piece Obsession in Numbers
Arsenal's physical encounter with Chelsea during the weekend witnessed all three goals originating from corners. As Opta highlighted, there were merely two corner goals throughout the 16 Premier League matches between Jürgen Klopp's Liverpool and Pep Guardiola's Manchester City, the competition correctly celebrated as the premium standard of England's elite division in the contemporary era.
The London clash represented a broader pattern.
Excluding penalties and own goals, over 29% of all goals netted by Premier League teams in 2025–26 have originated from dead balls. This represents the highest percentage across a single campaign in the league since 2010–11 (29.3%). Manchester United secured a third consecutive top-flight championship in that season which few would have praised as an outstanding display of flair and adventure at that time—which highlights the issue with Slot's position.
No One Is Ever Happy in Soccer
No One Is Ever Happy in Soccer
The iconic Uruguayan author Eduardo Galeano represented the quintessential soccer purist. "Years have passed and I've ultimately learned to embrace myself for what I am: a seeker of beautiful soccer," he penned in his masterpiece, Soccer in Sun and Shadow. "I travel the globe, palm extended, and in the arenas I beg: 'An elegant play, for heaven's sake.'
"And when beautiful soccer occurs, I express gratitude for the wonder and I don't care which squad or nation delivers it."
Despite Slot and the broader audience wanting to profess similar idealism, it's a position many adopt when convenient. It's possibly not coincidental that Liverpool's manager is criticizing style when his team's substance appears insufficient.
This critique isn't novel. The 1986 World Cup champion Jorge Valdano delivered a notorious rant about the game's condition following the 2007 Champions League semifinal between Liverpool and Chelsea. "Football consists of subjective emotion, of implication," he raged.
"Place excrement suspended from a pole in the center of this emotional, wild stadium and there are individuals who will claim it's artistic. It isn't: it's excrement suspended from a pole."
People readily overlook how despised Spanish soccer dominance was during that period. While Slot's preferred Barcelona employed a more rapid possession style, the national squad were unpopular world champions, constantly accused of passing opponents (and viewers) into submission. France World Cup victor Bixente Lizarazu once criticized the tiki-taka approach as "romance without passion."
Despite all the contemporary disdain, this exact era has been extensively romanticized by the "Barclaysman" phenomenon of today. Nostalgia can soften even the harshest players' reputations, converting figures like Hugo Rodallega and Charles N'Zogbia into legends years later.
In a decade's time, there's every possibility that Michael Kayode's lengthy throws will be celebrated in a compilation video set to Evanescence music. There will be considerable more criticism until that point.