Gary Neville has strongly criticized Arsenal, claiming that their excessive focus on set-pieces has left them lacking in the Premier League title race.
Arsenal’s hopes took a hit as they suffered a 1-0 home defeat to West Ham, just a day before Liverpool defeated Manchester City 2-0 to extend their lead at the top to 11 points. Neville believes Arsenal have squandered what should have been a defining season, dismissing injuries as a valid excuse.
Comparing their struggles to the 2015-16 campaign—when Leicester City won the title while the usual contenders faltered—Neville argued that Arsenal should have seized the opportunity, especially with Manchester City not dominating as expected.
Despite having a game in hand and 12 matches left, including a crucial fixture against Liverpool at Anfield on May 10, Neville questioned Arsenal’s rigid style of play. Speaking on the Gary Neville Podcast, he highlighted how their obsession with set-pieces, amplified by set-piece coach Nicolas Jover’s presence on the touchline, has stifled their attacking fluidity.
Although Arsenal have been without key players like Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Jesus, Kai Havertz, and Gabriel Martinelli, Neville insisted they should still have beaten West Ham at home. He criticized the club’s lack of signings in the January transfer window, arguing they had left themselves short in depth.
Neville acknowledged Arsenal’s steady improvement over the past two seasons but suggested this campaign was a bigger failure since they were well-positioned to challenge for the title. He believes this setback will be particularly painful for Mikel Arteta and the club’s leadership, as they had been edging closer to success.
Arsenal’s recent form has been frustrating, especially given Liverpool’s inconsistency—dropping points in four of their last eight matches before beating City. Neville warned that, like in Leicester’s title-winning season, questions will be asked about why Arsenal failed to take advantage of the opportunity.
Injuries have certainly affected Arsenal, with several key attackers sidelined, including Saka, Jesus, Havertz, and Martinelli. Others like Martin Ødegaard, Ben White, and Riccardo Calafiori have also missed significant portions of the campaign. Arteta has even resorted to playing midfielder Mikel Merino as a makeshift striker in recent matches.
While Merino’s late heroics helped secure a 2-0 win against Leicester on February 15, Arsenal’s finishing was poor against an out-of-form West Ham, managing just two shots on target from 20 attempts before conceding to Jarrod Bowen.
Despite scoring 10 goals from set-pieces this season—fourth-best in the league—they led the charts last season with 20. Neville has previously criticized Jover’s influence, even labeling him “the most annoying man in football.”
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