Declan Rice has pushed back against what he called disproportionate criticism of Arsenal’s use of set pieces, saying the attention stems from the team doing them well. Rice told The i Paper he found the reaction puzzling. “Everyone talks about it and then everyone does it—so it’s confusing!” he said. “But they’re not doing it to the level that we do it. You can see that when you’re seeing teams take corners. We can still get better and that’s the good thing about it.”

The debate has been heightened in recent weeks. After Arsenal beat Chelsea 2–1 earlier this month in a match that produced three set-piece goals, Liverpool manager Arne Slot criticised the direction of the modern game, insisting it was “not a pleasure ” to watch as he questioned the reluctance to punish excess physicality in the penalty area.

Tottenham Hotspur winger Mathys Tel echoed those concerns during an appearance on ZACK, describing corners as chaotic. “We’re all bunched together, everyone’s pushing, knocking each other to the ground, holding on to each other,” Tel lamented. “Forget it. The goalkeeper can no longer get out, he can no longer see.” He added a broader observation on the league: “I’m going to tell the truth, yes [it’s less exciting]. In the sense that it’s no longer a show, it’s really annoying to watch.

“There are fewer spectacles. There isn’t a Vinicius [Junior] pulling off a sombrero, dribbling past you, or a Kylian [Mbappé] bursting past you. Here, I’d say it’s more structured, maybe too much so, with clear ideas, all the set pieces, little details that can sometimes make the difference. But sometimes you think it might be too much.”

That critique met public defence from Wayne Rooney on his self-titled podcast. Rooney, Manchester United’s all-time top scorer, praised Arsenal’s approach and argued coaches should exploit set pieces. “I’ve heard a lot of people talking about Arsenal and the way they’re playing but I think they’ve been brilliant,” Rooney argued. “The set pieces are part of football—why would you not use it? They put bodies in the box, if teams aren’t clever enough or haven’t got the players to deal with it, why wouldn’t Arsenal continue to do that?

“I would be doing it even more if I was Mikel Arteta. It’s part of the game and I love it. They don’t have to change anything. They maybe haven’t scored as many goals from open play as they would like but they’ve made up for it in other ways. ]

Two transfer stories dominate conversation. The first centres on Chelsea and a $290 million Barcelona swoop. The scale of that figure alone signals a significant operation; it suggests a single headline move with far-reaching consequences for squad planning and resource allocation. Whatever the targets or mechanics of the approach, the reported sum frames this as more than a routine deal. It is the kind of transaction that demands strategic clarity and will test decision-making behind the scenes.

The second story is equally stark in tone: Liverpool face a Salah dilemma. The wording captures a club at a crossroads over one of its key figures. The nature of a dilemma implies competing priorities and hard choices. For Liverpool, the challenge will be to reconcile short-term demands with longer-term planning, balancing on-field needs against broader considerations.

Taken together, the two items set a clear narrative about how clubs are navigating a demanding market. Chelsea’s reported $290 million move for Barcelona and Liverpool’s current dilemma over Salah are separate stories, but both point to pressure points in modern squad construction. Each situation raises questions about allocation of funds, timing and the appetite for decisive action.

For observers, the immediate task is to monitor how each club proceeds. Chelsea’s manoeuvre, by virtue of headline valuation, will attract scrutiny on its structure and intent. Liverpool’s dilemma will invite close attention to the choices available and the signals sent by any resolution. Both developments will shape short-term headlines and have potential implications for the clubs involved.

These are not isolated narratives. They are examples of the dilemmas and decisions that define transfer periods: large sums prompting strategic responses and club dilemmas demanding careful judgment. The coming days will reveal whether the reported figure and the described dilemma evolve into agreement, compromise or further negotiation.

Shock results dominated the midweek slate, none more notable than Wolverhampton Wanderers’s last-gasp win over Liverpool. The round was less chaotic than the weekend, but several individual displays caught the eye of statisticians at FotMob.

Cole Palmer (Rating: 8.6) was central to Chelsea’s response in the Midlands. Chelsea had looked likely to suffer a fourth Premier League match without victory after conceding early at Aston Villa, but they recovered to secure a 4–1 win and capitalise on slips from Liverpool and Man Utd in the race for Champions League qualification. As he’s so often been at Chelsea’s best, Cole Palmer was integral to an important win in the Midlands. The attacking midfielder returned to the scoresheet as he rattled beyond Emi Martínez for his side’s third of the evening, a rare non-penalty goal these days, and his general play laid the foundations for an impressive attacking display.

Adam Wharton (Rating: 8.6) returned to form for Crystal Palace as the Eagles recorded a significant 3–1 away victory at London rivals Tottenham Hotspur. Wharton offered a composed head amid a frenetic end to the first half, supplying two assists to complete Palace’s quick-fire comeback. The first was a simple pass to Jørgen Strand Larsen but the second was a sumptuous through ball poked home by two-goal Ismaïla Sarr.

James Garner (Rating: 8.7) continued a quietly excellent season in Everton’s midfield during their 2–0 win over Burnley. Garner’s set-piece quality provided the opening goal; a teasing free kick delivery to the far post led to James Tarkowski’s opener. He finished the game with more touches than anybody else on the pitch and a match-high 13 defensive contributions, underscoring how influential he has been in Everton’s engine room this campaign.

These three performances were among the brightest in Gameweek 29, each combining tangible statistical impact with decisive moments that helped their teams on the night.