Arteta has done something at Arsenal that hasn’t been achieved since Wenger in 2008

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Arsenal have made set-pieces a key feature of their attacking play this season. 

Under the guidance of Mikel Arteta and set-piece coach Nicolas Jover, Arsenal now carry a huge threat from free kicks and corners.

The Gunners’ set-pieces have attracted plenty of attention this season. Former Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas has opened up about what he himself has learned from Jover, as he now heads into his own coaching career. 

Arteta’s use of set-pieces this season has even seen him compared with Arsenal icon George Graham. 

As per WhoScored data, Arsenal currently lead the way in the Premier League for goals scored from set-pieces, with 18 such strikes on their record. Everton are their closest challengers for this crown, having netted 15 times via set-pieces.

The Gunners have made these situations a huge part of their game. They can rely on good quality deliveries from the likes of Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, and club captain Martin Odegaard. In Kai Havertz, William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes, and Jakub Kiwior, amongst others, they also have a number of players who carry an aerial threat.

How impressive is Arsenal’s current set-piece record?

The Athletic has now put into perspective just how impressive the north London club’s use of attacking set-pieces has been this season. Focusing on Arsenal’s corners, the report revealed that the Gunners are currently scoring from 6.6 out of every 100 corners that they take. This is the best return on corners that Arsenal have ever managed since the 2007/08 campaign, when Arsene Wenger was still at the helm. 

Arsenal scored twice from corners in their 4-1 win over Newcastle United last time out. In the first half, Gabriel met Saka’s ball into the box. Whilst the Brazilian centre-back’s initial effort was kept out by Loris Karius, the ball was then inadvertently nudged over the goal-line by Sven Botman.

After the break, Kiwior scored his first goal of the season, as he flicked a corner delivery from Rice into the back of the net via a deflection.

This ability to score so regularly from corners is a huge weapon for Arsenal to have at their disposal. Against certain opposition, who will seek to sit deep with men behind the ball in an effort to stifle Arteta’s side in open play, their proficiency from set-pieces could be the difference between winning or not.