Former Celtic midfielder and manager Neil Lennon has now shared his verdict on the approach to set-pieces that Arsenal took against Porto on Wednesday evening.
Arsenal have been incredibly effective from set-pieces this season, but failed to make the most of them against Porto.
In his role as the Gunners’ set-piece coach, Nicolas Jover has been something of a secret weapon for Arsenal this season. The north London club have often taken a novel approach to attacking corners and free kicks, and the emergence of Declan Rice as a set-piece taker has certainly made Mikel Arteta’s side even more potent in these situations.
As per WhoScored statistics, Arsenal have scored 17 goals from set-pieces in the Premier League this season, more than any other side in the division. Their closest challengers for the crown of being set-piece kings are Everton, who have netted 14 times.
The Gunners took a highly-tailored approach to attacking set-pieces against Porto, particularly when it came to corners. Ben White was clearly instructed to try to hamper the hosts’ goalkeeper, Diogo Costa. Meanwhile, Kai Havertz was tasked with attacking the far post from deep, often starting his runs from near the edge of the penalty area.
Arsenal approach v Porto reminds pundit of George Graham era
These tactics caught the attention of Neil Lennon. As quoted by BBC Sport, he observed, “Arsenal’s set pieces are without question one of the stories of the season – It’s like the old days under George Graham.”
“Ben White just wants to be a nuisance, Varela can’t handle him, pushing and shoving, and causing a distraction for the Porto defenders.”
“It’s hung up to the far post, they’ve got William Saliba, Kai Havertz and Gabriel challenging for it. They should have scored from at least one of them.”
Ultimately, though, these efforts came to no avail. Havertz and Gabriel Magalhaes were both guilty of missing presentable goalscoring opportunities that came their way by virtue of a set-piece. They were left to rue these misses, as the Gunners conceded a late goal which condemned them to a 1-0 defeat in Portugal.
Arsenal will need to be far, far better all around if they are to turn this tie around when he two sides meet again at the Emirates Stadium on March 12th. The Gunners will need to take their chances efficiently in north London if they are to progress to the quarter-finals, and that includes any opportunities that they may create via set-pieces. They will also need to remain solid at the back in this regard, too, as they cannot afford to fall any further behind Porto.
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