- Oct 16, 2026
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SportsMafia Wire graphic. Photo: Niels Elgaard Larsen via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0. Team logos via ESPN.
Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya dismissed criticism that the team plays boring football, insisting the squad relishes its approach and enjoys competing daily.
Manager Mikel Arteta acknowledged only a very small minority take issue with the team's style. Arsenal have won 10 of 11 matches across all competitions this season, including a 1-0 victory over Nottingham Forest with just one shot on target. The club has collected 18 points from seven Premier League matches, the third-best start in league history, and sits level with Everton for most 1-0 wins since Arteta's December 2019 arrival at 32.
Arteta revealed he has not moved past last season's Champions League final loss to Paris Saint-Germain. Arsenal held only 25 percent possession, their lowest on record since 2003-04, in the Budapest decider that ended 1-1 before Gabriel Magalhães and Eberechi Eze missed in the penalty shootout.
Arsenal host Bayern Munich on Wednesday. Martín Zubimendi could feature after recovering from an ankle injury, while Piero Hincapié may return this weekend against Everton. The Gunners also beat Ipswich 4-2 in the Carabao Cup last month and have three wins by three-goal margins this season as they defend a title won for the first time in 22 years.
Source: ESPN - Tue Oct 20, 4:04 PM ET
Written by the SportsMafia Wire desk in our own words from the original reporting (AI-assisted, checked against the source).