Jose Mourinho takes brutal swipe at Mikel Arteta and Arsenal's 'magic strategy'

Jose Mourinho has cast doubt on the plaudits directed at Mikel Arteta for Arsenal's defensive display against Manchester City, suggesting that the approach isn't a 'magic strategy' for success.

The Gunners set up in a solid defensive formation during their recent goalless draw with the Premier League champions, managing to limit City to just one shot on target despite having only 28 percent possession at the Etihad Stadium. While many praised Arteta for his tactical nous, Mourinho offered a more critical view.

The ex-Roma manager, known for his own defensive tactics in the past, implied that Arteta's game plan wasn't particularly innovative. «I am happy because I like the kid,» Mourinho told The Telegraph regarding Arteta.

«And I am happy everything goes for him. But the way they [Arsenal] played to get that point — and the way the media spoke about a magic strategy. In my time, it was not a magic strategy and I won at Manchester City a few times.

»But it was not an amazing strategy. It was a defensive game. Park the bus. Park the double bus. It was a different perspective."

Mourinho has also questioned the number of central defenders Arsenal fields, even suggesting they sometimes have six at the back. «How many central defenders do they have in the team? Sometimes they have six,» he concluded.

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«As a matter of principle. Then they play in other positions. They play right-back, left-back, they play midfield. But they play with five or six central defenders on the pitch. They feel the need for defensive stability and defensive compactness.»

Despite Mourinho's critical view of Arteta's approach, the Arsenal