IT was not long ago that Arsenal were considered a naïve group with a soft touch.
Mikel Arteta’s solution has been to fill his side with gigantic bruisers with the nous, skill and talent to match, transforming the Gunners into the Premier League’s set-piece beasts.
They currently top the Prem charts with 13 set piece goals already this campaign – including 10 from 164 corners – proving they can find different ways to score goals and win games.
Before the 5-0 thumping of Crystal Palace – which included two goals from corners – Arteta’s Arsenal had gone 48 shots at home in all competitions without scoring.
Gabriel was involved in both set-piece goals, scoring one and forcing an own goal from another. The Brazilian has scored 12 since arriving in England in 2020, more than any other defender in the Prem during that time.
Alongside fellow six-footers Declan Rice, William Saliba, Kai Havertz and Ben White, this Arsenal are now formidable from dead-ball situations, as well as in their own box, conceding just four goals from corners this season.
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Arsenal are also yet to lose a Prem game in which they have scored directly from a set-piece, winning nine and drawing one.
Arteta said after the Palace win: “We work on everything and we want to dominate every phase of play. We want to be the best team in the world so you have to be the best in everything.
“Having the ability to score from many different ways, especially when you are attacking low blocks, to score in this certain way, everything has to be nailed absolutely perfectly.”
So far this campaign, set-piece goals account for 31 per cent of their total number of league strikes (42), almost double what it was last year (17 per cent).
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The plaudits are thrown the way of Arsenal set-piece specialist Nicolas Jover, who has revolutionised the club’s set-pieces since arriving from Manchester City in July 2021.
Bukayo Saka said post-Palace: “We do a lot of work on set-pieces. It’s the worst! Nico tries to make it fun. We’re doing well and what he’s doing is working.”
Here, SunSport takes a closer look at how Arsenal have got the better of their opponents from their 13 set-piece goals this season, including 10 corners, two free-kicks and one cheeky throw-in.
The Gunners have managed to find a few cheat codes that they’ve used more than once to score from set-pieces…
SET-PIECE 1 – CORNER
Scorer: Eddie Nketiah (26th minute)
Taker: Bukayo Saka
Arsenal 2-1 Nottingham Forest, August 12, 2023
The opening day of the season and it takes Arsenal less than half an hour to show off their set-piece prowess, but not in the traditional way.
Bukayo Saka’s delivery towards the front post is not the best, well flicked on by Kai Havertz (right arrow), but the next two loose balls are won inside the six-yard box, first by Thomas Partey (left arrow) and then William Saliba (middle arrow).
As a result, Gabriel Martinelli is able to gain possession, produce some outrageous skill to beat two defenders before teeing up Eddie Nketiah.
SET-PIECE 2 – CORNER
Scorer: Declan Rice (96th minute)
Taker: Bukayo Saka
Arsenal 3-1 Manchester United, September 3, 2023
In the dying seconds with the scores level, Arsenal overload at the back post with Takehiro Tomiyasu, Gabriel, Gabriel Jesus and Declan Rice, while Saliba acts as a distraction for United keeper Andre Onana.
In the end, it is Jonny Evans who is distracted by Gabriel, allowing Rice to peel off in behind and take a touch before firing past Onana.
Poor defending from United, but great instinctiveness by Rice to sense the overload and trust his teammates to act as blockers.
SET-PIECE 3 – CORNER
Scorer: Leandro Trossard (69th minute)
Taker: Bukayo Saka
Everton 0-1 Arsenal, September 17, 2023
A rare short corner from Arteta’s men as Saka taps to Martin Odegaard and Leandro Trossard immediately pulls away from Gabriel and Saliba outside the six-yard box looking for the lay-off.
It does not happen, as Fabio Vieira is found outside the box instead, with the Portuguese midfielder looking for Trossard only to see his passing lane blocked.
Trossard stays alive and makes a forward dart as Saka gets the ball back before firing in off the post.
Perhaps a routine that went wrong, but was made right by some off-the-cuff brilliance.
SET-PIECE 4 – FREE-KICK
Scorer: Ben White (93rd minute)
Taker: Martin Odegaard
Bournemouth 0-4 Arsenal, September 30, 2023
The game is already won at 3-0 up, but there is still time to notch a first goal of the campaign from a free-kick.
Odegaard’s arm is raised and Gabriel (arrow) jumps from an offside position and acts as a blocker on Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo, who is trying to mark Ben White.
Semenyo runs into Gabriel and loses White, allowing the Gunners right-back to drift in unmarked and connect with a looping header.
SET-PIECE 5 – CORNER
Scorer: Eddie Nketiah (50th minute)
Taker: Bukayo Saka
Arsenal 5-0 Sheffield United, October 28, 2023
In a different approach, Saliba and Rice power towards the near post while Nketiah (arrow) wrestles away his man and lurks at the far post.
Nketiah is given a helping hand as Wes Foderingham drops his catch allowing the Hale End striker to fire into the side-netting.
Also worth noting that White acts as a shield between Foderingham and the ball the entire time Saka’s looped delivery is in the air.
SET-PIECE 6 – CORNER
Scorer: Takehiro Tomiyasu (96th minute)
Taker: Fabio Vieira
Arsenal 5-0 Sheffield United, October 28, 2023
Same game, different tactic as Fabio Vieira aims for the near post and an onrushing Mohamed Elneny flicks on.
Tomiyasu (arrow) stays on Foderingham for as long as possible before running away from goal to pick up the loose ball and firing home.
Interesting to note that Saliba ducks at the last minute to avoid connecting with Elneny’s flick-on, knowing Tomiyasu would be retreating to that position.
SET-PIECE 7 – CORNER
Scorer: William Saliba (57th minute)
Taker: Leandro Trossard
Arsenal 3-1 Burnley, November 11, 2023
Some more clever movement by Arsenal’s French centre back puts the side back in front from a whipped Trossard corner.
Saliba begins way behind James Trafford but at the last minute swerves his run under the crossbar and nudges in front of the keeper to lose his marker Zeki Amdouni.
A simple finish, but had he managed to miss, Havertz and Gabriel would have mopped up having also made the run at the near post.
SET-PIECE 8 – CORNER
Scorer: Oleksandr Zinchenko (74th minute)
Taker: Leandro Trossard
Arsenal 3-1 Burnley, November 11, 2023
Burnley do not learn their lessons as Saliba produces a carbon-copy movement, this time finishing a few yards to the side of Trafford.
He connects with another header that hits the bar while Oleksandr Zinchenko (arrow) catches his marker Luca Koleosho napping on the edge of the box.
The ball eventually falls to the Ukrainian thanks to some more loose-ball aerial dominance from Tomiyasu.
SET-PIECE 9 – THROW-IN
Scorer: Gabriel Martinelli (20th minute)
Taker: Gabriel Jesus
Luton 3-4 Arsenal, December 5, 2023
Luton keeper Thomas Kaminski’s fluffed clearance looks to have found safety but Jesus’ quick-thinking sees Saka free down the by-line.
Martinelli may finish off the cut-back but Havertz makes it, his run towards goal taking several Luton defenders with him.
Arsenal have been trying this move all season, the brainchild of Nicolas Jover, especially in the past few weeks, but this is the only time they have pulled it off so far.
SET-PIECE 10 – CORNER
Scorer: Gabriel Jesus (53rd minute)
Taker: Bukayo Saka
Arsenal 2-0 Brighton, December 17, 2023
Arsenal’s big boys forcing opposition defenders into mistakes once more as Saliba, Gabriel and Havertz sprint towards the middle of the goal.
Seagulls centre back Jan Paul van Hecke takes care of the front post but, knowing who is behind him, flicks the ball towards the back post.
There ready and waiting is Jesus, free as a bird with Brighton’s other defenders pre-occupied by Arsenal’s towering trio.
SET-PIECE 11 – FREE-KICK
Scorer: Gabriel (4th minute)
Taker: Martin Odegaard
Liverpool 1-1 Arsenal, December 23, 2023
Very similar to the free-kick against Bournemouth – Odegaard stands with his hand raised and Gabriel (arrow) jumps back from an offside position.
However, instead of acting as a blocker, the Brazilian is given a free header with Virgil van Dijk concerned about Saliba and Ibrahima Konate stuck underneath Havertz.
The Liverpool line is also keeping one eye on Zinchenko, who fakes nipping in behind his marker Mohamed Salah on the edge of the box.
SET-PIECE 12 – CORNER
Scorer: Gabriel (11th minute)
Taker: Declan Rice
Arsenal 5-0 Crystal Palace, January 20, 2023
Despite Trossard being on the pitch, Rice decides to take on this corner, with devastating effect.
The delivery is lofted and loopy, giving Gabriel (arrow) plenty of time to arc his run and outmuscle Chris Richards.
The work of his teammates should not go unnoticed either. Saliba drags Marc Guehi away from the goal while Trossard blocks off Joachim Andersen where Gabriel eventually heads home.
SET-PIECE 13 – CORNER
Scorer: Dean Henderson OG (37th minute)
Taker: Bukayo Saka
Arsenal 5-0 Crystal Palace, January 20th, 2023
The above paragraph could almost be repeated word-for-word.
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Gabriel beats Richards towards the far post. Saliba creates space by running to the near post. Trossard acts as a blocker.
The only disappointment is Gabriel not getting credit for the goal as it bounces in off an unassuming Henderson, unable to deal with a devilish Saka delivery.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
