Graeme Souness Accuses Arsenal Of Tricking Referees ‘Every Week’, Adding To Manchester City’s Claims Of Gunners Using ‘Dark Arts’

Liverpool legend Graeme Souness agrees with claims that Arsenal are employing “dark arts” tactics to gain an advantage in the Premier League.

Arsenal’s “Dark Arts” Vs Manchester City

Following Arsenal’s controversial draw against Manchester City, Souness criticised the Gunners for their time-wasting and physical play. He suggested that these tactics are not only ineffective but also potentially damaging to the team’s morale.

“I believe playing that way was foolhardy and dangerous because of City’s qualities,” Souness wrote in his Daily Mail column. “If you play 100 games like that, 95 times you will concede because there’s so much action in the box and the ball only once has to fall to the wrong person.”

He added, “No one in that Arsenal team will have enjoyed being dominated like that. Despite the big shifts put in for the cause, I simply don’t know what they take away from that game, other than the obvious point.

Souness isn’t the only ex-player that has criticised Mikel Arteta’s set-up against the Premier League champions, after Roy Keane slammed the Spaniard for employing “dinosaur” tactics.

Souness Accuses Arsenal Of Tricking Referees ‘Every Week’

Souness also accused Arsenal of “duping” referees at set-pieces every week, and says that referees need to “wake up” and clock on to their antics.

“I also just don’t know when referees will wake up to what Arsenal do at set-pieces and corners,” he said. “An accurate kicker of the ball delivers it under the crossbar, where aggressive players attack it, pinning and fouling the goalkeeper.

“If I was facing Arsenal, I would be taking three or four of my teammates in front of the referee and pointing out to him what’s about to happen.

“Arsenal are getting away with it every week. They rotate the blockers, so the dummy referees don’t see it and deal with it.”

Are Arsenal Wrong To Employ “Dark Arts” Tactics?

While Arsenal have defended their tactics, Souness’ comments have reignited the debate about the use of underhanded tactics in football. It remains to be seen whether the Premier League will take any action to address these concerns.

Some fans and pundits have argued that Arsenal’s tactics are simply a reflection of the modern game, where teams are often forced to play defensively against stronger opponents. They point out that other teams also engage in time-wasting and physical play.

However, Souness insists that Arsenal’s approach is particularly egregious.

The debate over Arsenal’s tactics is likely to continue in the coming weeks and months. It will be interesting to see how the team responds to the criticism and whether they make any changes to their approach.