Mikel Arteta sent strong Arsenal defence as club legend wades in on rival 'agenda'

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Arsenal legend Nigel Winterburn has hit back at recent criticism aimed at the Gunners over the past few weeks. Mikel Arteta's side currently sit top of the Premier League table with a two-point advantage over second-placed Manchester City .

The north Londoners face Everton in the top-flight this weekend before a Carabao Cup quarter-final clash with Crystal Palace - with a potential semi-final showdown against Chelsea on the line should they progress. Arsenal could drop to second by kick-off against Everton, with Man City facing West Ham earlier in the day.

The Gunners secured their last Premier League victory by a 2-1 score-line against Wolves - courtesy of two own goals - and Winterburn has jumped to his former club's defence amid the criticism they've received.

"People are sort of focused on Arsenal a little bit and their set-plays, particularly at the start of the season, then it drifted away a little bit," Winterburn said in an interview with OLBG.

"Then there were a few murmurings the other night about own goals winning games. There seems to be a little bit of an agenda about Arsenal at the moment and everyone's picking every single game apart.

"But for as long as I've known football, it's vital to be as good at set-plays as it is at open play.

"They're almost what I'd call a 'cheap' goal. And if you can get plenty of them, you're going to pick up a significant amount of points."

Winterburn also outlined why Arsenal should target the quadruple this season, despite that obvious challenge, to maximise their prospects of silverware.

"When they win the first trophy and, of course, you want the Premier League or the Champions League , but just picking up one of those cups for me is the start, it's a journey that you start to go on and hopefully you progress," Winterburn added.

"I know a lot of supporters and pundits will say it's only the League Cup and it's not good enough, but you have to start somewhere.

"There's no doubt in my mind, there's gonna be a lot of rotation in the League Cup. But just talking about the squad that they've got, depending on injuries, they've still got enough to push teams all the way.

"Winning it would be a start and it comes, as it's the first one, it comes early in the season."

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