"The whole point of football is to get a result" - Pundit hits back at Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta's 'strange' Sunderland criticism after 2-2 draw

Former Tottenham Hotspur star Chris Waddle has slammed Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta for his comments on Sunderland. He believes that the Spaniard should not question opponents' tactics; instead, focus on creating a plan to get past the defence.

Speaking to SheKicks, Waddle said that Arteta should be frustrated at his tactics not working and not criticize the system used by Sunderland. The former Premier League player added that every team is going to find ways to get results and said (via GOAL):

"It's always strange to criticise your opponent's tactics, at the end of the day. You know, the whole point of football is to get a result. It's a game. You have to work out how to get results and win, and at least avoid defeat. You work out how to get the best out of your team and cause problems to the opposition. You come up with a plan, and if it works, then you've done your job well, so I wouldn't criticise Sunderland."

Wadle went on to slam Arteta, adding that he cannot criticize other teams for defensive approaches, as the manager opts to sit back and score goals from set-pieces. He added:

"People could talk about Arsenal, about how they park the bus and rely on set-pieces. Everyone wants to have a dig at everyone else's tactics, but it's your job to find the weaknesses and exploit them, or spot a good tactic and use it yourself. This time, Sunderland worked out how to get a point, so the manager got it right." "It might make it harder to break down sides if they park the bus, but it's your job to figure out how to break it down. It's up to you, and you don't moan about it. You figure it out and you overcome it, and then you get a little smile on your face that a team sat back and they still couldn't stop you. Obviously, Arteta wasn't happy, but Sunderland had their game plan and it worked."

Arsenal drew 2-2 at Sunderland, ending their run of 10 wins and eight clean sheets.

Arsenal leading Premier League title race with Manchester City and Chelsea chasing

Arsenal are on top of the Premier League table after 11 matches this season. The Gunners have 26 points, sitting four points clear of second-placed Manchester City.

Pep Guardiola's side managed to close the gap over the weekend after the Gunners' slip-up against Sunderland. Manchester City beat Liverpool 3-0 at the Etihad, jumping two points clear of Chelsea.

On the other hand, Chelsea managed to move to third in the table after their 3-0 win over Wolverhampton.

Edited by Sripad