You have no right — Mikel Obi SLAMMED after labelling Arteta's Arsenal 'cheats' and ‘boring’

A Nigerian influencer has ignited online banter by calling out former Chelsea star John Obi Mikel for deeming Arsenal's tactics "boring."

This follows Mikel's heated rant on his Obi One Podcast, where he lambasted Arsenal's set-piece reliance following their 2-1 victory against Chelsea in the Premier League. The episode has fuelled Premier League debates on entertainment versus results.

In the podcast, the Super Eagles legend unleashed detailed criticism of Arsenal's gameplay, particularly their set-piece dominance. He said: "Every week, its the same thing. It's boring! It's boring to watch. It's a boring way of winning the title."

Mikel accused the league leaders of over-relying on corners, suggesting that Arsenal's 16 set-piece goals this season reflect uninspired tactics despite heavy investment.

"I've said it so many times from last season. This season, I've talked about it. They've depended solely on corner kicks, on set pieces to win games. They've scored 16 goals from corner kicks this season; they did the same last season, and they have nine or 10 games to go," Mikel said.

"I don't see Arsenal winning games without corner kicks. When you have all these players; the likes of Eze, Odegaard, Saka, Martinelli, Trossard - you need a bit of creativity, not always depending on set-pieces."

The former Chelsea star also accused the North London side of cheating with their Arteta's tactics which he labelled 'illegal'.

"I can't accept that. You can win whatever way you want to win. But when I look at this Arsenal team right now, they are so desperate to win the Premier League title after 22 years that they can cheat their way through it," Mikel said before adding:

"This is a cheat code of winning the title. I would love play the game the right way and win the right way."

The 2012 Champions League winner also went ahead to reference Man City's dominant era in the Premier League under manager Pep Guardiola.

"Pep Guardiola has won the title six times in 10 years if I'm not mistaken; playing pretty football that everybody was imitating. Everybody wanted to play the Pep way. It was the right way to play football whether you like it or not. It was efficient, it was good to watch. They won titles.

"He was tweaking constantly. As a manager, he was evolving, he was changing systems. He won titles that way. That's what you call a manager that knows how to change things; a manager that is proactive! Not rigid, not depending on one system, which is corner kicks.

"This is why I said it's illegal what Arsenal are doing. It shouldn't be allowed and the FA should stamp it out!"

Following Mikel's brutal remarks on the podcast, Nigerian X influencer Wande, aka @blaccmajek, shaded the Super Eagles legend, arguing that Mikel lacks standing given his own pragmatic style.

@blaccmajek fired back with a post on X that read: "Mikel Obi no get right to call any football boring. One of the most boring players ever. Mr 'make ball no spoil for my hand'."

The post amassed thousands of interactions, with fans highlighting Obi's own stats and individual style for Chelsea, where he scored only one Premier League goal in 249 games.

Arsenal supporters accused Mikel of hypocrisy, recalling Chelsea's "park the bus" era under Mourinho, while Chelsea fans defended his trophy-laden career.

Mikel Obi enjoyed a decorated 11-year stint at Chelsea from 2006 to 2017, amassing 372 appearances and key trophies including two Premier League titles, four FA Cups, two League Cups, one Community Shield. He also won the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League with the Blues.

Internationally, with Nigeria, he also boasts a storied career, winning the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations, helping the Super Eagles to third-place finishes in 2006, 2010, and 2019 AFCONs, and securing a bronze medal at the 2016 Olympics.

Mikel also represented Nigeria at two FIFA World Cups (2014, 2018) and captained the team, retiring in 2022 following spells at Tianjin TEDA, Middlesbrough, Trabzonspor, Stoke City, and Kuwait SC.