“Perfection”, “impossible to defend”, “like Stoke City!”
Pundits were left purring once again by Arsenal’s set-piece prowess after a series of dangerous corners led to both goals and a host of further chances in the 2-0 victory over Manchester United.
Post match, manager Mikel Arteta said he hoped opponents would continue to struggle to find a solution to a strength everybody is aware of, but few can find a way to address.
We have taken a look at the best stats and quotes to explore Arsenal’s emergence as “corner kings” and why they are being compared to the Stoke City of Tony Pulis.
Arsenal have scored 22 goals from corners since the start of 2023-24, seven more than the next highest in the Premier League, Manchester City
Across Europe’s top-five leagues, Arsenal are also top and five clear of Bayer Leverkusen in second (17)
Mikel Arteta’s side have scored 30 goals from all set-pieces (excluding penalties) in that period, accounting for 25.2% of their 119 league goals
Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka have the most assists from set plays since the start of last season (7)
However, Everton (50%) have the highest ratio of set-piece goals as a proportion of all goals in that same period
For the ultimate comparison, Stoke’s Premier League ratio under former manager Tony Pulis was 43.1% – 81 set-piece goals from a total of 188 goals.
It is now the norm for elite clubs to have set-piece coaches, and in Nicolas Jover Arsenal arguably have the best.
But as well as the hours of data analysis and tireless work on the training ground, another factor has been jokingly suggested as being behind Arsenal’s success – a similarity to Pulis-era Stoke City, the club often cited as the archetypal direct, no-nonsense team who maximised their physical strengths.
“Arsenal are the new Stoke City – depending on set-pieces to give them the win,” former Manchester United and Tottenham striker Dimitar Berbatov said – with a smile – on Amazon Prime Sports after the game.
Portugal head coach and former Everton manager Roberto Martinez added: “We all suffered Stoke. I think it is a great credit to remember Tony Pulis.”
Under Pulis, 43.1% of Stoke’s Premier League goals between 2008 and 2013 (81 of 188) came from set-pieces (excluding penalties), so Arsenal aren’t quite on their level yet. Perhaps a long-throw specialist in the Rory Delap ilk is needed?
Other pundits and coaches were far more willing to praise the Gunners, with Gary Lineker describing the consistency of Arsenal’s set-piece delivery as “extraordinary.”
Speaking to Amazon, United manager Ruben Amorim labelled Arsenal’s corner routines “incredible, especially the way they change the games, because sometimes they are not dominating. Today [the game] was really divided, no big opportunities and then one set-piece can change the game.
“You can see in every situation Saka and [Gabriel] Martinelli go outside and they cross. They know if the cross is going well they can score. If it goes for a corner, they can score.”
The consensus seems to be yes – but with difficulty.
There are several aspects to Arsenal’s set-pieces that make them extremely difficult for opponents to defend. The first is excellent delivery.
“Delivery is key, movement, blocking the goalkeeper. The ball is played over that first player [at the near post] and it’s perfection,” former Arsenal defender Martin Keown said on Match of the Day while analysing Declan Rice’s delivery for Jurrien Timber’s opener.
Speaking on Football Daily, Izzy Christiansen noted how many of Arsenal’s corners were delivered right on top of United goalkeeper Andre Onana, who was surrounded by ‘blockers’.
And on Match of the Day, Amorim seemed to concur, adding: “They put a lot of players near the goalkeeper and it’s almost impossible to fight for the ball.”
Speaking to Amazon after full-time, Rice said: “We keep at it [set-pieces] all the time, we never get bored. With repetition you end up scoring goals.
“When you go up for a corner it’s a chance to score a goal, not a chance to relax and chill.”
Variety is key as well. Arsenal kept United guessing, with their first goal coming from a front-post delivery and their second via a corner sent to the back post.
“Sometimes they front-load the front post but then go to the back post, and sometimes they’ll have Gabriel in the middle. The key for Arsenal is being able to mix it up,” Match of the Day pundit Micah Richards said.
Keown argued that United didn’t make it difficult enough for Arsenal to score from corners.
“[United] are in a zonal system, no-one is picking up and it’s far too easy for Arsenal. They’re just passengers, it’s just naivety,” he said.
Opponents have used a man-to-man marking system but without much joy either. Some fans are complaining on social media that Arsenal’s use of blocks and subtle pushes is going unpunished.
“As coaches, when we prepare these strategies, you know what the opposition are going to do,” former Everton manager Martinez said on Amazon.
“The uniqueness of Arsenal’s work is that they always find a little trick that makes things impossible to defend if the delivery is right.”
