Arsenal defender Piero Hincapie has strongly defended the club’s pragmatic tactical evolution and heavy reliance on set-pieces under manager Mikel Arteta. With the Gunners currently sitting seven points clear at the Premier League summit, the player insists their robust approach is entirely legal, prioritising crucial victories over beautiful football to finally secure the elusive title.Hincapie addressed the growing scrutiny surrounding the club's physical approach under manager Mikel Arteta. The London side currently hold a commanding seven-point lead at the top of the Premier League table after 30 games, yet they have faced severe criticism for abandoning their traditional flowing football.The 24-year-old was quick to dismiss claims that Arteta and his squad are bending the rules to maintain their advantage. Explaining the relentless motivation driving their current momentum, Hincapie told Sport Bild, "Our will to win makes us perfectionists."The statistics behind the club's dead-ball prowess are staggering, with nearly 38% of their 58 league goals originating from such scenarios. This efficiency is the direct result of intensive training sessions orchestrated by specialist coach Nicolas Jover, who has helped them break records for the most goals from corners and become the fastest side to reach 10 set-piece goals.Hincapie acknowledged the external noise but highlighted the internal focus, explaining, "We pay attention to the details. Our set-piece strength is talked about all over Europe. That’s the result of daily training with our set-piece coach, Nico Jover." He added, "That sounds annoying, but the results mean that every one of us is eager to score from a corner or a free kick."The international star remains unapologetic about the methods behind their success, stressing that securing positive results ultimately trumps aesthetic concerns. As Arsenal hunt their first league crown in two decades, the squad firmly believes that the ends justify the means in a gruelling title race against Manchester City.Addressing the core of the tactical debate, the centre-back reinforced the idea that lifting the trophy is the only metric that matters. "The most important thing for me is that we are successful and don’t do anything illegal in the process," Hincapie insisted. He bluntly concluded his point by adding, "You can’t always win beautifully."Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reportingArteta has successfully transformed his team into the meanest defensive unit in the division, marking a stark departure from the legendary Invincibles era. Arsene Wenger managed a side famed for its attacking grace, scoring just six goals from corners during that historic campaign, a figure the current crop has completely dwarfed by netting 22 times from dead balls.Having suffered three consecutive second-place finishes, the squad is willing to embrace the dark arts to finally cross the line. They could even go on to claim the Champions League, FA Cup and Carabao Cups, with the final of the latter coming later this month. Hincapie justified this gritty approach by drawing on his past successes, stating, "Sometimes you have to play smart and fight to the very edge of what’s allowed. You have to have guts. In the double-winning season, not all of our games were pretty to watch, but we won them."