Former Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov has taken a lighthearted dig at Arsenal after they triumphed over the Red Devils at the Emirates Stadium, calling them the “new Stoke City.” Berbatov’s joke stemmed from the Gunners’ new-found ability to convert set pieces on cue.
Arsenal Hurt Manchester United Through Corners in Premier League Clash
Premier League aspirants Arsenal secured a 2-0 victory over Manchester United in their Premier League Matchday 14 meeting on Wednesday night, December 4. Defenders Jurrien Timber and William Saliba were on the scoresheet, with both goals coming from corner kicks.
After coming close a couple of times in the first half, Arsenal finally converted a corner in the 54th minute, with Timber glancing Declan Rice’s left-side delivery into the back of the net. Saliba doubled the hosts’ tally in the 73rd minute, with him poking in Thomas Partey’s flick from Bukayo Saka’s right-side corner. Mikel Merino would have made it 3-0 in the 77th minute had his header from Saka’s corner not drifted narrowly wide of the mark.
Dimitar Berbatov Calls Gunners New Stoke City After Set-Piece Heroics
The ability to convert from set pieces has been one of Arsenal’s main strengths this season, with them clinching 22 goals from such situations since the start of the 2024-25 season. After the victory over Man Utd, Berbatov likened them to Stoke City, who were exceptional from corners and free-kicks under Tony Pulis between 2006 and 2013.
Speaking on Amazon Prime Video, the former Bulgarian center-forward said (via GOAL):
“Probably the Premier League is the only league in the world where you have so many players around the goalkeeper, pushing, shoving, making chaos. Normally it is going to be a foul.
“Not here. You need to be strong. And that’s probably why he (Ruben Amorim) was watching from the side, he was like, ‘What is going on with my keeper?’ You need to work on that. As we joke, Arsenal is the new Stoke City, right? Depending on set-pieces, which can give you the win, as it was today.”
The victory over Man Utd, combined with Premier League leaders Liverpool’s 3-3 draw with Newcastle United, allowed second-placed Arsenal to reduce the gap to the Reds to seven points. The Mancunians, meanwhile, dropped to 11th place in the rankings after suffering their first defeat under Ruben Amorim.
