Mark Ogden
Mar 16, 2026, 08:00 AM ET
Max Dowman may have done more than score a historic, potentially decisive goal in the Premier League title race with his stoppage-time strike that sealed Arsenal’s 2-0 win over Everton. The 16-year-old’s finish — and the assist for Viktor Gyökeres’ opener — briefly softened the growing dislike directed at Mikel Arteta’s team.
“Lovable” would be overstating it. Despite sitting on the cusp of an unprecedented quadruple, Arsenal have attracted fresh criticism for tactics seen as negative. Brighton coach Fabian Hurzeler accused them of “time-wasting” after a narrow win earlier this month. Paul Scholes called them the “worst team to win the league.” Peter Schmeichel labelled their football “ugly” and irritating to watch.
Dowman’s return to school the morning after his goal reminded everyone of what makes football great: risk, invention and individual expression. His strike felt like freedom — the very qualities Arteta’s side have largely tamped down this season as they chase trophies through meticulous, percentage-driven football.
That is the paradox of Arteta’s Arsenal. They could become the first English club to win the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup and League Cup in the same season, yet much of the football world views their methods with disdain. Arsène Wenger’s 2003-04 “Invincibles” were admired for their exhilarating style; an Arteta quadruple would surpass many historic achievements on paper but might be regarded as a step backwards for the game’s aesthetics.
Success breeds imitation. Pep Guardiola’s possession-driven model and the ball-playing goalkeeper have been widely copied because they win. If Arteta’s more direct, efficiency-focused approach consistently delivers silverware, it too will spread. Signs are already visible: “Artetaball” has influenced rival teams to emphasise set pieces. Nicolas Jover’s work has helped Arsenal become one of Europe’s most reliable goalscoring machines from dead-ball situations.
This season Arsenal have scored 21 Premier League goals from set pieces — more than any other team in Europe’s top five leagues — accounting for 34.4% of their league goals. Previous champions with high set-piece ratios include Blackburn (1994-95) and Manchester United (2007-08) at around 35%, but those United sides still had prolific forwards. Arsenal lack a comparable talisman, which partly explains their reliance on rehearsed routines.
The recent dominant teams have been defined by standout attackers. Manchester City led by Erling Haaland (and previously Sergio Agüero) and creative forces like Kevin De Bruyne and Phil Foden; Liverpool relied on Mohamed Salah, Luis Díaz and others. Across Europe, Real Madrid and PSG have also leaned on world-class finishers. Arsenal’s forwards are less prolific: only Gyökeres (16) and Gabriel Martinelli (11) have reached double figures this season, yet the team remains the Premier League’s top scorers. It’s their goalscoring profile — efficient, often manufactured — rather than flamboyant attacking play that frustrates purists.
Arteta has found a winning formula by optimising marginal gains. That pragmatism has made Arsenal supremely consistent and dangerous, but it also risks making football more conservative if emulated widely. Dowman’s moment was a reminder that risk and spontaneity still matter, but one wonder-goal won’t reverse a prevailing tactical trend.
If Arsenal lift major trophies, managers everywhere will look to copy what works. The game may gain new winners, but it could lose some of the adventurous spirit that draws many fans. Even a spectacular breakthrough from a teenager is unlikely to change the broader direction of top-level football that Arteta’s success is helping to shape.
