There’s been some scary sights on the planet of soccer over time. We’re speaking Arjen Robben reducing in on his left foot, Lionel Messi working at defenders, Rory Delap loading up a deadly lengthy throw and now the sight of Arsenal‘s Bukayo Saka or Declan Rice standing over a set piece.
The Premier League hasn’t been this afraid of such eventualities for the reason that days of Tony Pulis, and a few might argue that the one distinction between Mikel Arteta and the previous Stoke Metropolis boss is a pair of glasses and a hat.
The Spaniard, for all the comparisons in jest, deserves nice credit score alongside set-piece coach Nicolas Jover after changing into specialists in one thing that might lastly end in a Premier League title.

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With that mentioned, we have taken a glance again at each aim that Arsenal have scored from a nook or free kick beneath Arteta since his arrival as supervisor.
Arsenal set-piece goalscorers beneath Arteta (present gamers) |
||
---|---|---|
Rank |
Participant |
Set-piece targets |
1 |
Gabriel |
15 |
2 |
William Saliba |
6 |
3 |
Thomas Partey |
3 |
4 |
Martin Odegaard |
2 |
5 |
Gabriel Jesus |
2 |
6 |
Jakub Kiwior |
2 |
7 |
Gabriel Martinelli |
1 |
8 |
Declan Rice |
1 |
9 |
Ben White |
1 |
10 |
Takehiro Tomiyasu |
1 |
11 |
Oleksandr Zinchenko |
1 |
12 |
Kai Havertz |
1 |
13 |
Bukayo Saka |
1 |
14 |
Mikel Merino |
1 |
15 |
Jurrien Timber |
1 |
2019/20: 2 targets
Arsenal save the set items for the highest six
Earlier than the times of the Pulis comparisons, Arteta’s Arsenal facet had been solely starting to search out their ft beneath their new boss in the course of an period to overlook in north London. However they nonetheless managed to hang-out their Premier League rivals from what all of us now know to be harmful set items within the 2019/20 marketing campaign.
Scoring their first beneath the Spaniard in opposition to Chelsea, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was completely positioned to move residence on the top of Calum Chambers’ knockdown within the thirteenth minute of a recreation that ultimately noticed the Gunners finish on the flawed facet of defeat, courtesy of Jorginho and a late Tammy Abraham winner.
Their second and final of that season then got here in opposition to one other top-six facet within the type of Manchester United. Taking full benefit of David de Gea’s poor try and clear his strains from Nicolas Pepe’s nook, Sokratis Papastathopoulos thumped residence to set the Gunners on track for a 2-0 victory over the Purple Devils.
Purpose |
Opposition |
Scorer |
Set piece |
---|---|---|---|
1 |
Chelsea |
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang |
Nook |
2 |
Man Utd |
Sokratis |
Nook |
2020/21: 8 targets
Arsenal start to search out their ft
Because the pandemic struck, Arsenal – although nonetheless struggling to search out the appropriate outcomes – started to point out indicators that their power got here within the type of set items, scoring eight targets from these eventualities within the 2020/21 marketing campaign.
For a second season working, Chelsea as soon as once more struggled to deal with Arteta’s facet from a dead-ball state of affairs, with Granit Xhaka following in Sokratis’ footsteps by scoring immediately from a free kick on the Emirates Stadium.
This time in much more sensational style than the season prior, Xhaka stepped up from vary to search out the highest nook of Edouard Mendy’s web to attain the Gunners’ first free kick of the marketing campaign. Notably, in the identical season, Gabriel Magalhaes discovered the again of the web on his Arsenal debut from a nook in what was an indication of issues to come back.
Purpose |
Opposition |
Scorer |
Set piece |
---|---|---|---|
1 |
Fulham |
Gabriel |
Nook |
2 |
Fast Vienna |
David Luiz |
FK |
3 |
Dundalk |
Eddie Nketiah |
Nook |
4 |
Chelsea |
Granit Xhaka |
FK |
5 |
Fast Vienna |
Pablo Mari |
Nook |
6 |
Leicester |
David Luiz |
FK |
7 |
Fulham |
Eddie Nketiah |
Nook |
8 |
West Brom |
Willian |
FK |
2021/22: 11 targets
Gabriel turns into rising risk as Jover joins
If Gabriel’s debut aim was a warning, then his three set-piece targets all through the next marketing campaign ought to have acted as a large crimson flag for the remainder of the Premier League, particularly after set-piece coach Jover arrived. The central defender greater than performed his half as Arsenal returned to the European locations, scoring 11 targets from set items while doing so.
This time round, it was Everton and Leicester who suffered essentially the most, each conceding two from Arsenal corners, with the Foxes struggling the specter of Gabriel contained in the penalty space. In the meantime, the Toffees couldn’t deal with the Gunners’ set items on a scorching afternoon in Might, conceding twice in a single recreation courtesy of Eddie Nketiah and Cedric Soares.
In the meantime, the one free-kick aim that season got here courtesy of Martin Odegaard, who struck an outstanding effort to seal a slim 1-0 victory over Burnley firstly of the season.
Purpose |
Opposition |
Scorer |
Set piece |
---|---|---|---|
1 |
Burnley |
Martin Odegaard |
FK |
2 |
Aston Villa |
Thomas Partey |
Nook |
3 |
Leeds |
Calum Chambers |
Nook |
4 |
Leicester |
Gabriel |
Nook |
5 |
Southampton |
Gabriel |
Nook |
6 |
Sunderland |
Eddie Nketiah |
Nook |
7 |
Wolves |
Gabriel |
Nook |
8 |
Leicester |
Thomas Partey |
Nook |
9 |
West Ham |
Rob Holding |
Nook |
10 |
Everton |
Eddie Nketiah |
Nook |
11 |
Everton |
Cedric Soares |
Nook |
2022/23: 11 targets
Set-piece risk not sufficient to seal Arsenal silverware
Having discovered their ft beneath Arteta’s philosophy, Arsenal rapidly discovered themselves in a Premier League title race. In a battle between the coed and the grasp, Arteta not less than laid down a marker that his facet had been there to remain in opposition to Pep Guardiola’s Manchester Metropolis facet.
However regardless of matching their 11-goal tally from the season prior from set items, the Gunners nonetheless could not discover a approach to dethrone the Residents.
In reality, nonetheless, this was not Arsenal on the peak of their set-piece powers. In reality, it was the primary season by which they failed to attain extra targets from such eventualities than the earlier season as progress stalled for the yr.
Nevertheless, there have been nonetheless non-set-piece targets that got here because of Jover’s organised chaos, with a chief instance being Reiss Nelson’s iconic winner in opposition to Bournemouth, which got here from the part of play following a late Odegaard nook.
As soon as once more, Gabriel made his mark inside the realm, scoring 3 times, together with targets in opposition to Fulham (twice) and fellow London rivals Chelsea.
Purpose |
Opposition |
Scorer |
Set piece |
---|---|---|---|
1 |
Crystal Palace |
Gabriel Martinelli |
Nook |
2 |
Leicester |
Gabriel Jesus |
Nook |
3 |
Fulham |
Gabriel |
Nook |
4 |
Brentford |
William Saliba |
Nook |
5 |
Chelsea |
Gabriel |
Nook |
6 |
Brighton |
Martin Odegaard |
Nook |
7 |
Oxford |
Mohamed Elneny |
FK |
8 |
Sporting CP |
William Saliba |
Nook |
9 |
Fulham |
Gabriel |
Nook |
10 |
Wolves |
Thomas Partey |
Nook |
11 |
Wolves |
Jakub Kiwior |
Nook |

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2023/24: 16 targets
Jover’s affect exhibits
Some might be fast to shoot down the scenes of Jover celebrating each time that Arsenal rating from a set piece, however the coach deserves credit score for his glorious work.
He has taken Arsenal from being a mean facet from set performs into changing into essentially the most harmful staff within the Premier League. And final season, it confirmed greater than ever for the primary time.
Scoring a formidable 16 targets from set items, Arsenal caught every of Newcastle, Tottenham, West Ham, Crystal Palace, Burnley and Sheffield United twice in the identical recreation, with sides merely unable to deal with Jover and Arteta’s setup. By this level, it was after all no shock that Gabriel proved to be the most important risk, discovering the again of the web 5 instances in all competitions.
It wasn’t sufficient to win them the title but once more, however the Gunners stole the headlines a number of instances from set performs, maybe most notably when Declan Rice discovered the again of the web to safe a last-gasp victory over Manchester United.
Purpose |
Opposition |
Scorer |
Set piece |
---|---|---|---|
1 |
Man Utd |
Declan Rice |
Nook |
2 |
Bournemouth |
Ben White |
FK |
3 |
Sheff Utd |
Eddie Nketiah |
Nook |
4 |
Sheff Utd |
Takehiro Tomiyasu |
Nook |
5 |
Burnley |
William Saliba |
Nook |
6 |
Burnley |
Oleksandr Zinchenko |
Nook |
7 |
Brighton |
Gabriel Jesus |
Nook |
8 |
Liverpool |
Gabriel |
FK |
9 |
Crystal Palace |
Gabriel |
Nook |
10 |
Crystal Palace |
Gabriel |
Nook |
11 |
West Ham |
William Saliba |
Nook |
12 |
West Ham |
Gabriel |
FK |
13 |
Newcastle |
Personal aim |
Nook |
14 |
Newcastle |
Jakub Kiwior |
Nook |
15 |
Tottenham |
Personal aim |
Nook |
16 |
Tottenham |
Kai Havertz |
Nook |
2024/25: 10 targets (to this point)
Arsenal turn out to be set-piece kings
Often, when a staff concedes from a set piece, many consider that whoever is accountable for that facet might be left extremely dissatisfied, as they’re typically seen as avoidable targets to concede.
Arsenal, nonetheless, have turned the avoidable into the inevitable to this point this season, scoring 10 targets from set items in all competitions. The Emirates watches on as if Saka or Rice are stepping as much as the penalty spot once they place the ball on the nook quadrant, elevate a hand up and ship an unstoppable supply.
On the right track to beat final season’s report of 16 targets from set items, it would not be an overstatement to recommend that the Gunners pose a better risk from these eventualities than they do from open play, on condition that on the time of writing, they ranked thirteenth for anticipated targets from open play, and have recorded extra xG per recreation from set items than another Premier League facet since 2017.
So, while Arsenal are undoubtedly the set-piece kings, they might but stay a way behind as they search to turn out to be the heirs to Manchester Metropolis and Guardiola’s throne.
Purpose |
Opposition |
Scorer |
Set piece |
---|---|---|---|
1 |
Tottenham |
Gabriel |
Nook |
2 |
Man Metropolis |
Gabriel |
Nook |
3 |
Leicester |
Personal aim |
Nook |
4 |
PSG |
Bukayo Saka |
FK |
5 |
Liverpool |
Mikel Merino |
FK |
6 |
Sporting CP |
Gabriel |
Nook |
7 |
West Ham |
Gabriel |
Nook |
8 |
Man Utd |
Jurrien Timber |
Nook |
9 |
Man Utd |
William Saliba |
Nook |
10 |
Fulham |
William Saliba |
Nook |