In a revealing piece by the Daily Mail in their Monday edition, the curtain is pulled back on Arsenal’s set-piece mastery.

Under Mikel Arteta and Nicolas Jover’s guidance, the team has become a formidable force in the Premier League, particularly in set-piece situations.

Arsenal’s set-piece secrets exposed by Daily Mail

Daily Mail, Monday 22 January 2024, set-piece Kings How Odegaard’s socks and Trossard’s blocks turned Arsenal into. . . Daily Mail22 Jan 2024ISAAN KHAN at the Emirates Stadium ARSENAL 5 Gabriel 11, Henderson (og) 37, Trossard 59, Martinelli 90+4, 90+5 CRYSTAL PALACE 0 MANCHESTER City, Martin Odegaard’s socks and cornerkicks. All three are interlinked. It was Mikel Arteta who persuaded his friend and set-piece expert Nicolas Jover to leave City and join Arsenal in the summer of 2021. And it is Jover who has helped the Gunners become the Premier League’s king of the set-piece, as Crystal Palace discovered. Arsenal have scored 13 set-piece goals in the league thus far — more than any other side. Everton are second with 11. Marginal gains, as coined by Manchester United’s new board member Sir Dave Brailsford, have forever been chased in sport. For Arsenal, it was Gabriel’s two towering headers, one of which deflected in off goalkeeper Dean Henderson, which kick- started this 5-0 rout. Those two goals were particularly crucial with Arteta’s side on the back of a three-game losing streak. The 6ft 3in Gabriel has 12 league goals for Arsenal, more than any other defender in the league since arriving at the club. The Brazilian leapfrogged Chris Richards to nod in the opening goal. Declan Rice delivered the corner right on the money, yet it was Leandro Trossard who was just as crucial in the sequence. He peeled away from Jeffrey Schlupp to block off Joachim Andersen, giving Gabriel the route to brush off Richards and enter the space in front of Henderson. Andersen became fixated on Trossard’s position for the following corners. For the second goal, Andersen was preoccupied with the Belgian as Gabriel steamed to the back post to head goalward. ‘ He ( Gabriel) has this ability and the timing and deliveries have been consistent,’ said Arteta. ‘ Others like Willie (Saliba) have this capacity to score more goals. We don’t have 30-40 goals from someone, so we need to share them. That is a good quality of the team.’ It is Jover’s influence rubbing off on a side who are willing to adapt to increase their scoring options. Arteta is very much on board and gives Jover the time and space to drill down the various intricacies. One of those appears to be Odegaard’s socks. To signal whether the corner is to attack the front or back post, the Norwegian seems to have two separate gestures with the way he pulls at his socks. It does sound very Arteta. Such intricacy is expected. Jover is well-versed in his craft. He joined Montpellier in 2009 and transformed them into a force at dead-ball situations as they won the French title in 2011-12. Brentford were his first club in England, before moving to City on a recommendation by thenassistant coach Arteta. The Arsenal boss did not hesitate in bringing him to north London. The impact of early set-piece goals is so vital. On Saturday, it caused Palace to become increasingly open as they chased the game. ‘Especially when you are attacking low blocks, to score in this certain way, everything has to be nailed perfectly,’ said Arteta. ‘Sometimes when you generate things that are a bit more chaotic, it opens teams up.’ Another positive was the arrival of Gabriel Martinelli in the 69th minute. It was the Martinelli of seasons past who came off the bench to score twice in stoppage time. Before Saturday, he had only managed four goals this season. Arteta will hope the brace is the start of more goals for the Brazilian — but for set-pieces, it’s as you were. ARSENAL (4-3-3): Raya 7; White 7.5, Saliba 7.5, GABRIEL 9 (Kiwior 81min), Zinchenko 8; Odegaard 6.5, Rice 7 (Jorginho 73, 6,5), Havertz 6 (Smith Rowe 69, 6.5); Saka 6, Jesus 7 (Nketiah 81), Trossard 7 (Martinelli 69, 8). Scorers: Gabriel 11, Henderson 37 (og), Trossard 59, Martinelli 90+4, 90+5. Booked: None. Manager: Mikel Arteta 7.5. CRYSTAL PALACE (3-4-3): Henderson 5; Richards 5, Andersen 5, Guehi 5.5 (Tomkins 87); Clyne 5 (Ahamada 76), Lerma 6.5, Hughes 5 (Ozoh 68, 5.5), Mitchell 6.5; Schlupp 5.5 (Franca 76), Mateta 6, Eze 5.5. Booked: None. Manager: Roy Hodgson 5. Referee: Paul Tierney 6.5. Article Name:set-piece Kings Publication:Daily Mail Author:ISAAN KHAN at the Emirates Stadium Start Page:6 End Page:6
How Odegaard’s socks and Trossard’s blocks turned Arsenal into set-piece Kings – Daily Mail, Monday 22 January 2024

The Daily Mail has laid bare the set-piece strategies that have transformed Arsenal into the Premier League’s leading force in this aspect of the game, with Mikel Arteta‘s side amassing an impressive 13 set-piece goals so far this season.

At the heart of this set-piece revolution is Nicolas Jover, a specialist poached by Arteta from Manchester City in 2021. Jover’s impact is undeniable as Arsenal now top the league’s set-piece scoring charts, with Everton trailing behind at 11.

Arsenal’s 5-0 thrashing of Crystal Palace stands as perfect example of these tactics.

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Central to this win were the two goals from defender Gabriel, one following a deflection off Palace’s Dean Henderson. These goals, crucial in breaking Arsenal’s three-game losing streak, highlighted the team’s emphasis on set-pieces.

The Daily Mail’s article reveals the intricate roles played in these set-pieces. For instance, Leandro Trossard‘s strategic movement was key in creating space for Gabriel’s goals. By peeling away from Jeffrey Schlupp and blocking Joachim Andersen, Trossard allowed Gabriel to exploit the space and score.

This attention to detail extends to Martin Odegaard‘s unique sock-pulling gestures, signalling whether to attack the front or back post during corners – a tactic that epitomises Arteta’s nuanced approach.

How Odegaard’s socks and Trossard’s blocks turned Arsenal into set-piece Kings - Daily Mail, Monday 22 January 2024
How Odegaard’s socks and Trossard’s blocks turned Arsenal into set-piece Kings – Daily Mail, Monday 22 January 2024

Jover’s pedigree in set-piece strategy is well-established, having previously transformed Montpellier into a dead-ball powerhouse and winning the French title in 2011-12.

Arsenal’s early set-piece goals against Palace not only solidified their lead but also forced their opponents into a more open game, as noted by Arteta after the game. He emphasised the necessity of precision in attacking low blocks, acknowledging that set-pieces can create opportunities in otherwise tight games.

Arsenal and headed goals

Arsenal's Brazilian defender #06 Gabriel Magalhaes (C) heads the ball as he scores his team first goal during the English Premier League football match between Arsenal and Crystal Palace at the Emirates Stadium in London on January 20, 2024. (Photo by BEN STANSALL/AFP via Getty Images)
Arsenal’s Brazilian defender #06 Gabriel Magalhaes (C) heads the ball as he scores his team first goal during the English Premier League football match between Arsenal and Crystal Palace at the Emirates Stadium in London on January 20, 2024. (Photo by BEN STANSALL/AFP via Getty Images)

Arsenal have distinguished themselves in the Premier League this season, leading the way in headed goals. With 10 already, they’re outperforming all other teams in this regard.

This feat is particularly impressive when compared to last season, where the total was 12 across all matches.

Arsenal’s current trajectory suggests they might surpass their previous best in a season, which was 17 headed goals in 2016/17, a record partly fuelled by Olivier Giroud’s six goals.

The team’s current form in aerial duels indicates a potential challenge to Wimbledon’s all-time Premier League record of 22 headers in a single campaign, set in 1995/96.

Historically, Arsenal have a decent record in scoring headers, with 294 since the Premier League began in 1992, ranking them sixth overall.

They have particularly troubled Everton, scoring 21 headers against them.

Olivier Giroud remains the club’s most prolific header scorer with 27 goals, followed by other notable names like Ian Wright (14) and Emmanuel Adebayor (12).

In addition, no other defender has scored as many headed goals as Gabriel since the Brazilian’s arrival in London in September, 2020.

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