Arsenal legend fumes at ‘Set Piece FC’ label given to Mikel Arteta’s side

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The ‘negative’ narratives surrounding Arsenal’s win over Chelsea, after their set-piece prowess again stole the headlines has been slammed.The Gunners secured a crucial three points with a hard-fought 2-1 win against their London rivals at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.Arsenal overcame ten-man Chelsea thanks to two goals from set piecesGettyMikel Arteta‘s side maintain their five-point lead at the top of the Premier League, although second-placed Manchester City, who beat Leeds United a day earlier, still having a game in hand.While Arsenal boosted their title hopes massively by getting over the line against the blues, it was far from a convincing display.Both Gunners goals came from well-worked corner routines and they were enough to get the hosts over the line against ten-man Chelsea.First, William Saliba nodded the ball in-off Chelsea’s Mamadou Sarr from a corner, before Jurrien Timber headed in the winner from another Declan Rice delivery in the 66th minute.Even after Pedro Neto’s 70th-minute sending off, the Gunners endured a nervy end to the match, with Liam Delap having a late equaliser ruled out by VAR.Despite Arsenal edging the gritty affair, it wasn’t long before media outlets chose to focus on the manner of their victory. Timber’s goal marked the 16th time Arsenal had scored from a corner this Premier League season.No team in Premier League history has netted more goals this way in a single term, with Oldham Athletic and West Brom scoring the same number during the 1992/93 and 2016/17 campaigns respectively.‘Say something positive’With the Gunners once again being labelled ‘Set Piece FC’, club legend Emmanuel Petit aired his frustrations during an explosive rant on talkSPORT’s White and Jordan on Monday.Blasting the media response, he said: “[They] always try to give negative comments, never see the positive side. Never try to find something positive.AFPTimber’s winner means Arsenal are just one goal off setting a record for the most goals from corners in a top-flight season[/caption]He headed through a crowd of players in order to get the winnerGettyPetit won the Premier League and FA Cup with the Gunners in 1998Getty“It’s like seeing the empty glass or the full glass. It’s always the same old story.”Continuing to vent his anger, Petit urged the media to focus on Arsenal winning another crucial match in their title run-in.He continued: “Even when Arsenal win a game, just like yesterday, it’s about set pieces. Okay, so is it important to win the three points?“Nobody is saying anything positive, all the time. I mean, it’s very rare, actually.“I read the newspaper this morning. It’s kind of negative, you know? It’s like: ‘Set Piece FC’, things like this. “But at the end of the day, it’s three points. I mean, just say it.”GettyRice’s set piece deliveries have become feared in the Premier League[/caption]‘I get angry’Rounding off his rant, Petit likened the coverage of Arsenal this season to news headlines, insisting people prefer to focus on the negatives.Not only do the Gunners lead the Premier League title race, they also remain in the hunt for an historic quadruple, with Champions League, Carabao Cup and FA Cup glory all a real possibility too.He fumed: “I get angry because it’s like watching the news, you know? “You have ten news [stories]. It’s always about nine bad news [stories], all the time. “Fears sell newspapers and fears bring people in front of the TV.“You know, there is beauty in this world. There is beauty in football. And sometimes you can be honest and say some positive things.”