After the horrendous defeat to Manchester United, Arsenal fans don’t want to hear about tactical nous; they want excitement.
Mikel Arteta has an attacking problem to solve at Arsenal, as became clear against Man United, as the Gunners looked as though they were out of ideas from the off.
There was, however, one constant source of threat, which was set-pieces, an area that Nicolas Jover has perfected.
Arsenal are notoriously good from set-play, and while fans are concerned that it’s the only answer right now, rival Premier League clubs are concerned for another reason.
- READ MORE: Arsenal have now banned Nicolas Jover from doing something Mikel Arteta does all the time
You can send Mikel Arteta one message after Man Utd defeat, what is it?
Craig Burley says it’s ‘bonkers’ that no team can stop Arsenal’s set-pieces
For all of the weaknesses Arsenal showed against Man United, one thing stood strong, and that was set-play authority.
It’s the last thing that Arsenal fans want to hear, but it’s something that caught Craig Burley’s attention when analysing the defeat.
Speaking on ESPN FC’s YouTube channel, the former Chelsea midfielder firstly singled out what he believes are Arsenal’s only two attacking sequences.
“Saka and set-pieces, and when you can nullify Saka and if you do nullify the set-pieces…It’s driving me bonkers,” Burley said.
The pundit then took aim at the rest of the Premier League, asking how nobody has been able to stop Arsenal from dead-ball scenarios.
“14-15 players in the six-yard box, what’s Lammens supposed to do? He’s got nowhere to go, but we see this, every game, it’s bonkers.
“All these coaches, we’ve got the manager, we’ve got the set-piece coach, throw-in coach, and yet, nobody’s coming up with anything that can stop Arsenal scoring from these set-pieces.”
Burley concluded by stating the way that he would advise the opposition to limit Jover’s tactics, saying, “We’ve always said, leave three up, make them think.”
Focusing on Burley’s comments on the Man United game, the pundit’s words were interesting, as even before the match, Senne Lammens’ impact on how Arsenal executed their set-piece routines was outlined.
Set-pieces deserve celebration but Arsenal fans deserve more
No one can stop Arsenal from set-pieces, but right now, fans would much rather see the squad considered unstoppable on all attacking fronts.
At this moment in time, that’s far from the case, as the Gunners have shown in their recent Premier League games.
Be honest, how many ELITE forwards do Arsenal actually have?
Something isn’t working in Arsenal’s attack, whether it be tactical restraints or just a lack of form for, well, every player.
Jokes aside, that rings true, as the numbers show just how much Arteta’s forwards are underperforming in the league.
With a title to be won, Arsenal need to step up, particularly in attack, so that the narrative from every game isn’t set-play.
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