Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney has mounted a strong defence of Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, labelling recent criticism of the Premier League leaders' playing style as "very unfair".
The Gunners currently hold a seven-point lead over Manchester City at the top of the table. Despite this dominance, rival managers and pundits have increasingly targeted the team’s functional style, perceived time-wasting, and physical approach to set pieces. Rooney, speaking on the BBC’s Wayne Rooney Show on Monday, dismissed these narratives, asserting that winning is the only metric that matters in a title race.
"I don't think they’ve been as bad as what people are saying; I really don’t," Rooney stated. "I’m not saying this because I like Arsenal... I think it’s very unfair the criticism they are receiving for being seven points top of the league."
The scrutiny intensified following comments from former West Ham manager Alan Pardew, who suggested that an Arsenal title win might deserve an "asterisk" due to their "functional displays". Brighton manager Fabian Hürzeler also criticised the Gunners after a 1-0 defeat last week, claiming they were "making their own rules" regarding physical play during dead-ball situations.
Rooney, who won five Premier League titles under Sir Alex Ferguson, drew parallels to his own career to justify Arsenal's pragmatism. He noted that even championship-winning teams are often not aesthetically perfect at the finish line. He urged Arteta to ignore the noise and lean further into the controversial tactics if they continue to produce results.
"If teams can’t deal with it, do it more," Rooney added. "Their focus is just trying to win games in any way possible, and when you're going for the title, I don't think you have to worry about what anyone thinks."