Arsenal's mastery of dead-ball situations is leaving Premier League opponents reeling. The Gunners' reliance on set pieces – corners, free kicks, penalties, and long throws – has yielded a staggering 17 goals from such scenarios in the league this season. But what makes Mikel Arteta's side so effective in these areas?
At the heart of Arsenal's success lies a clear understanding of old-school methods. The vast majority (81%) of their corners are inswinging, and statistically more likely to lead to a goal than out-swinging deliveries. This isn't surprising given that Arteta learned under Pep Guardiola, who has historically favored shorter, more controlled approaches to set pieces. However, Arteta has opted for a more aggressive stance, often launching balls directly towards leaping centre-backs.
Tall and imposing defensive players like Gabriel Magalhães have formed the backbone of this strategy. The Brazilian's towering presence at the far post is a nightmare for opposing defenders, who must deal with not one but two tall figures. This has led to opponents struggling to cope with the sheer number of goals coming from set pieces.
But it's not just about brute force; Arsenal's coach Nicolas Jover curates the finer details, ensuring that each delivery has its own specific purpose. The system isn't reliant on any single player, such as Declan Rice or Bukayo Saka, and whoever delivers dead balls into the six-yard box is encouraged to mix things up.
For example, Martin Ødegaard has created goals from corners this season, using his left foot to deliver inswinging deliveries that exploit defensive weaknesses. Meanwhile, Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke have also chipped in with their own contributions. This spread of creativity makes it difficult for opponents to identify a single weakness.
Arteta's tactics also create chaos in opposition defenses. By shifting players' starting positions, pressuring the goalkeeper, and varying the direction of deliveries, Arsenal can overwhelm defenders. The result is goals from knock-downs, flick-ons, and goalmouth scrambles – all of which have yielded significant returns this season.
The statistics are telling: two converted penalties, four own goals, and seven goals from knock-downs, flick-ons, or goalmouth scrambles. While opponents might try to counter by leaving players upfield to create a breakaway, Arsenal's hard-running defense makes it difficult for them to get out of their own half.
Finally, the Gunners are working on adding another dimension to their set-piece prowess with long-throw specialist Thomas Grønnemark. This could further exacerbate problems for opposing defenses, leaving them scrambling to keep up with Arsenal's finely tuned goalscoring machine.
As the season progresses, it will be interesting to see how other Premier League sides adapt to this emerging threat. For now, Arteta and his team remain the leaders in set-piece dominance – a testament to their hard work, creativity, and willingness to push boundaries.
At the heart of Arsenal's success lies a clear understanding of old-school methods. The vast majority (81%) of their corners are inswinging, and statistically more likely to lead to a goal than out-swinging deliveries. This isn't surprising given that Arteta learned under Pep Guardiola, who has historically favored shorter, more controlled approaches to set pieces. However, Arteta has opted for a more aggressive stance, often launching balls directly towards leaping centre-backs.
Tall and imposing defensive players like Gabriel Magalhães have formed the backbone of this strategy. The Brazilian's towering presence at the far post is a nightmare for opposing defenders, who must deal with not one but two tall figures. This has led to opponents struggling to cope with the sheer number of goals coming from set pieces.
But it's not just about brute force; Arsenal's coach Nicolas Jover curates the finer details, ensuring that each delivery has its own specific purpose. The system isn't reliant on any single player, such as Declan Rice or Bukayo Saka, and whoever delivers dead balls into the six-yard box is encouraged to mix things up.
For example, Martin Ødegaard has created goals from corners this season, using his left foot to deliver inswinging deliveries that exploit defensive weaknesses. Meanwhile, Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke have also chipped in with their own contributions. This spread of creativity makes it difficult for opponents to identify a single weakness.
Arteta's tactics also create chaos in opposition defenses. By shifting players' starting positions, pressuring the goalkeeper, and varying the direction of deliveries, Arsenal can overwhelm defenders. The result is goals from knock-downs, flick-ons, and goalmouth scrambles – all of which have yielded significant returns this season.
The statistics are telling: two converted penalties, four own goals, and seven goals from knock-downs, flick-ons, or goalmouth scrambles. While opponents might try to counter by leaving players upfield to create a breakaway, Arsenal's hard-running defense makes it difficult for them to get out of their own half.
Finally, the Gunners are working on adding another dimension to their set-piece prowess with long-throw specialist Thomas Grønnemark. This could further exacerbate problems for opposing defenses, leaving them scrambling to keep up with Arsenal's finely tuned goalscoring machine.
As the season progresses, it will be interesting to see how other Premier League sides adapt to this emerging threat. For now, Arteta and his team remain the leaders in set-piece dominance – a testament to their hard work, creativity, and willingness to push boundaries.
. I think part of it is just how organized they are when it comes to corners & free kicks - it's like they've got a plan B & C ready to go 
. And yeah, Gabriel's aerial threat at the far post is a game-changer for them. But what's really impressing me is how Arteta mixes up his delivery - he's not just relying on one or two players to create goals, which makes it hard for teams to anticipate and prepare 
. I think that's where Jover's attention to detail comes in, making sure each set piece has a specific purpose 
. And with Grønnemark coming in, I'm excited to see how they adapt their strategy even further... it's gonna be fun to watch other teams try to keep up! 
. Their reliance on corners, free kicks, penalties, and long throws has yielded impressive results this season. The use of inswinging deliveries from 81% of their corners is particularly noteworthy, as it highlights the team's understanding of old-school methods that have been passed down through Arteta's coaching tenure.
. Their towering presence at the far post creates a nightmare for opposing defenders, who must contend with not one but two tall figures. This has led to opponents struggling to cope with the sheer number of goals coming from set pieces.
. As the season progresses, it will be interesting to see how other Premier League sides adapt to this emerging threat.
Gabriel Magalhães is like a giant magnet at the far post - it's like they're sending him birthday presents or something! 
The stats are insane and it's crazy how much pressure this puts on opposing defenses. They need to figure out how to deal with all these knock-downs and flick-ons, it's like a never-ending puzzle 
. It's like they're having a chess match with the opposing team 
. By mixing up their delivery options and creating chaos in defenses, they're making it hard for opponents to anticipate what's coming next 
. And with Thomas Grønnemark on board, that's gonna make things even more interesting 
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! It's not just about one player doing all the work; it's a team effort. And with Thomas Grønnemark joining the mix, opposing defenses will be in for a world of trouble 
I'm excited to see how the rest of the season unfolds and if Arsenal can maintain their edge 
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. I mean, why try to out-swing them when you can just make the ball go in? 
And now they're working on adding long-throw specialist Thomas Grønnemark to the mix... that's just gonna be fun to watch 
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. I mean, 17 goals from set pieces? That's just lazy defense from the other teams. And don't even get me started on Arteta's tactics – it's all just a big game of "keep the ball away from our goalie" 
. They're not really creating scoring chances, they're just relying on their tall center backs to muscle in on headers.
. Any coach would tell you that inswinging corners and long throws are effective ways to get goals from set pieces. And it's not like Arsenal's doing anything original – they're just following in Pep Guardiola's footsteps 
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but also, its cool how martin ødegaard can use his left foot to deliver inswinging deliveries 