Mikel Arteta used a tactic vs Southampton that should never be seen again

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Arsenal weren’t at their very best against Southampton on Saturday as they lost 2-1 to second-tier opposition

The Gunners were exposed defensively, and a 16-year-old was their best player on the day.

One area where Arsenal lacked in this cup tie was from set plays.

Arsenal have been the very best team in the world from set pieces this season, and, as anyone could tell you, corners have been a major strength.

However, against Southampton, that wasn’t the case.

Arsenal changed their corner strategy against the Saints, and it really didn’t work.

Time and again, Arsenal chose to take short corners instead of delivering the ball into the box. It slowed the game down and made things easy for Southampton to defend. The usual threat just was not there.

Usually, we see Arsenal deliver looping balls to the back post as their giant roster of talent queue up to score.

Arsenal have built real success from those types of corners this season. They attack the ball well, they create chaos, and they score goals, but in this game, they decided to change things.

Predict how many goals Arsenal will score from corners in 2026 👀

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Why did Arsenal change their corner tactics?

The question remains, why did Arsenal change their corner tactics for this game? One possible reason is trust.

It may be that Mikel Arteta does not fully trust the delivery from Martin Odegaard or Gabriel Martinelli.

Both players often took responsibility for short routines rather than putting the ball into dangerous areas. But even if that is the case, the solution cannot be to avoid crossing altogether.

Because the alternative was worse.

Short corners allowed Southampton to stay organised. There was no panic, no second balls, and no real threat. Arsenal often ended up recycling possession without creating anything meaningful. For a team that has been so effective from dead balls, it was a step backwards.

Arteta has got a lot right this season. That cannot be doubted. But this is one area he should rethink quickly. The short corner experiment offered nothing and took away a proven weapon.

It is a tactic that should not be repeated.