O'Hara brands champions Arsenal 'worst to watch' and 'unbearable'
Jamie O'Hara has taken aim at Arsenal, branding the Premier League champions the 'worst to watch' in the division and calling Mikel Arteta's side 'unbearable'.
Speaking on Sky Sports, the former Tottenham midfielder delivered a blunt assessment of Arsenal's style under Arteta despite the club sitting as reigning champions. The comments came as part of a wider discussion on Sky Sports' coverage of Arsenal, which also touched on an injury concern for Bukayo Saka and the north London side's goalless draw with Bayern Munich in the Champions League.
The Friday Injury Tracker
Who's out, who's back and what it means for the next two games.
What O'Hara said
O'Hara did not hold back in his critique, suggesting that Arsenal's approach under Arteta makes for difficult viewing even as the team has enjoyed success on the pitch. The remarks were made during a Sky Sports segment dedicated to reaction around Arsenal's current campaign.
It is a familiar line of criticism levelled at Arteta's Arsenal over recent seasons, with pundits occasionally pointing to a pragmatic, control based approach as a trade off for entertainment value. Arsenal's title win will inevitably draw more scrutiny of this kind, with success often inviting closer examination of how a team plays rather than just the results it produces.
Context around the club
The comments arrive during a week when Arsenal have also been dealing with an injury concern involving Saka, with Arteta giving what was described as a 'not good' update on the winger's fitness. The Gunners also drew 0-0 with Bayern Munich in the Champions League, a result that prompted separate debate from pundits including Jamie Carragher, who questioned whether Arsenal have enough 'star power' up front to be considered the team to beat in Europe.
On the domestic front, Arsenal have continued to pick up results, with a straightforward win over Everton featuring goals from Gabriel and praised as 'comfortable' by Paul Merson. Despite the stylistic criticism from O'Hara, the underlying results this season have kept Arsenal at the top of the Premier League table as defending champions.
The debate over aesthetics versus effectiveness is unlikely to go away soon. Arteta has previously shown he is willing to defend his methods publicly, having recently called out other managers over comments regarding Arsenal's approach in matches. Whether O'Hara's latest comments draw a response from the Arsenal camp remains to be seen, but the club will likely point to silverware as the ultimate response to critics of their playing style.
