Pep Guardiola claimed that most Premier League trips are like facing Stoke City under Tony Pulis as an obsession with set pieces engulfs the top flight this season.
Almost 19 per cent of all league goals across the division have come from corners – nearly five per cent higher than any other year.
The Manchester City boss has always defended the right of managers to set up in whichever tactical style suits their team and stopped short of criticising the growing trend.
But Guardiola insisted that while he would be ‘naïve’ to ignore the impact of set plays, top scorers City – the only team to have sourced all of their goals from open play - will continue to focus on other aspects of winning games.