Cameras reveal Mikel Arteta's 'dark arts' strategies written on his notepad

The Gunners have faced repeated accusations of extensive time-wasting from dead ball situations throughout the season, with many suggesting that Arteta's side make use of football's 'dark arts'. This has sparked a range of opinions from pundits, with Ian Wright supporting the approach, while Roy Keane slammed Arsenal after their draw with Man City last month.

Following Arsenal's recent 3-1 win over Southampton, some of the principles in Arteta's tactics have been revealed after his 'dark arts' notes were caught on camera.

A single sheet of paper with a distinctive red header and footer displayed what seemed to be player positions on the field along with specific instructions. However, the content of the paper was somewhat challenging to interpret.

On another sheet, one of the three principles stated: 'Force AR 6 yard', most likely referring to the strategy involving former Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale and a plan to encourage him to play from his six-yard box.

Beneath that, it mentioned: 'Force our…' with the remainder of the message obscured by Arteta's hand.

The final bullet point stated - ' Avoid Switch'.

Arteta's 'Dark-arts' paid off

Arteta's tactical approach paid off as the Gunners secured all three points with goals from Kai Havertz, Gabriel Martinelli, and Bukayo Saka.

Arsenal's tactics during the second half of last month's 2-2 draw at Manchester City have sparked debate. After Leandro Trossard was sent off just before the interval when the Gunners were leading 2-1, Arteta's side received praise for frustrating City, who only managed to score an equalizer in the 98th minute. However, some were critical, describing it as time-wasting and even 'dark arts'.

When former English gaffer Sam Allardyce was asked his opinion on Arterta's tactics, he approved of Arteta's game plan and revealed that even he used such tactics when playing against better-quality sides while coaching Bolton Wanderers in the 2000s. He felt Arteta's strategy was essential when the team was down to 10 men; as a coach, he had to do what was needed to salvage a point.