Roy Hodgson believes the criticism aimed at Arsenal’s style of play is harsh, pointing to Mikel Arteta’s team’s results as the real measure of their progress. With Arsenal winning nine of their first 10 Premier League games and moving five points clear at the top, Hodgson says the numbers speak for themselves.
Speaking to Jeff Stelling on OLBG, Hodgson said Arteta has done a fantastic job and argued that success must be judged on winning matches. He said there is nothing wrong with Arsenal’s football, describing them as a side that plays very good football with outstanding individual players and some lovely moves.
Why Hodgson thinks the criticism is harsh
The debate around Arsenal has often centred on whether they are too controlled and not entertaining enough. Hodgson did not buy into that argument. In his view, criticism becomes difficult to defend when a team keeps delivering results, especially at this stage of the season.
He pointed to the simple reality of football at the top level: if you keep winning, fans are far more likely to accept the manner of those victories. Arsenal’s 1-0 win before the break against Hull was another example of a side finding a way, even when the performance does not produce a wide-margin scoreline.
Results are doing the talking
Arsenal’s league form has given the discussion real weight. After winning nine of their first 10 Premier League games, they went top and have stayed five points clear, a position that suggests consistency rather than controversy should be the main story.
Hodgson also framed Arsenal’s strength in the wider context of the season, noting that they are third in the Champions League table as well. That kind of position reinforces the idea that Arteta’s team are competing strongly on multiple fronts, even if not every performance is designed to entertain in the same way.
For Hodgson, the conclusion is straightforward: winning matters most. If Arsenal continue to collect points and stay clear at the top, the arguments about style are likely to matter less than the evidence on the table.
