'It's a zoo' Tottenham Hotspur player slams Arsenal tactics in 'boring' football rant

LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 22: Gabriel of Arsenal heads the ball at a corner during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on February 22, 2026 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Jacques Feeney/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)
Arsenal are the leaders in the new set-piece trend in the Premier League (Image credit: Getty Images)

A Tottenham Hotspur player has labelled Premier League football “boring to watch” due largely to the focus on set-pieces.

It’s not the best time to be a Spurs player in the top tier, regardless of the brand of football on display, with the north London outfit currently sitting just one place above the relegation zone with nine games left to play.

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Tottenham striker brands the Premier League “boring”

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The Gunners find themselves there thanks largely to set-pieces, with 19 goals coming via this method, the most of any team in the league by some distance, despite all teams focusing more attention here.

One Spurs man believes the new trend has made England’s top division boring.

LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 22: Declan Rice of Arsenal takes a corner during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on February 22, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images)

Declan Rice has become a key creative source for the Gunners (Image credit: Getty Images)

In an interview with stream Zack Nani, as quoted by Maxifoot, Spurs striker Mathys Tel said: “I’ll tell you the truth, yes, it’s not exciting.

“It’s boring to watch; it’s really just a clash between two teams with their own ideas.

“There’s less spectacle. There’s no Vinicius pulling off a sombrero flick, no dribble, no Kylian [Mbappe] accelerating past you. Here, I’d say it’s more structured, maybe too much so.

“All those set-pieces, little details that can sometimes make the difference. But sometimes you think it might be too much.

“I told the assistant coach in charge of set-pieces, ‘Don’t put me on that one,’ because it’s a zoo.”

LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 05: Mathys Tel of Tottenham Hotspur during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on March 05, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Harry Murphy - Danehouse/Getty Images)

Mathys Tel is not impressed with what he's seeing in the Premier League at the minute (Image credit: Getty Images)

In FourFourTwo’s opinion, with their biggest rivals winning using a very identifiable tactic, it’s little wonder that same method is not loved by Spurs.

However, there is definitely a limit on the enjoyment, for the neutral, in watching corner routine after corner routine – but that will matter little to Gunners fans if they win the league.

Added to all that, Tel has also reportedly been keen to get away from Spurs in recent months, which could be why he’s denigrating the league and talking up La Liga.

Tel is valued at €25m, according to Transfermarkt.

Isaac Stacey Stronge
Freelance Writer

Isaac Stacey Stronge is a freelance football writer working for FourFourTwo, Manchester United and Football League World. He has been a season ticket holder at Stockport County throughout the Hatters’ meteoric rise from the National League North to League One and is a die-hard Paddy Madden fan.

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