Arsenal’s set-piece prowess has been one of their secret weapons over recent years with their tally from dead balls last season over triple what it was before the arrival of a designated set-piece coach.
Nicolas Jover has been singled out for praise from the likes of Declan Rice and Mikel Arteta for the impact he has had on the team since joining from Manchester City.
He focuses not only on the set-pieces but defending from the counter-attacks that follow are a pivotal part of his methods, leading to former Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas coming to Jover for advice.
While the likes of William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes benefit from getting on the end of these set-piece chances, Jover has singled out a surprising star on the fringes of the team for praise for his part in the operation.
Arsenal set-piece coach Nicolas Jover praises Gabriel Martinelli’s tenacity
Speaking in a recent interview with L’Equipe, the 42-year-old heaped praise on Gabriel Martinelli for his tenacity when it comes to the set-play situations, despite his inferior stature to some of the defenders that he comes up against.
“It is an element, among others, aggressiveness [and] timing,” Jover said. “But a big, aggressive guy with good timing is perfect. With us, for example, Martinelli has very good timing, he is dynamic, aggressive, has confidence in himself and wants to score.
“Sometimes players who are a little less mobile don’t take advantage of their large size. So, it’s not enough.”
High praise for the left-sided forward who will be looking to recapture his form after a disappointing campaign last time out.
How set-pieces are different in the Champions League
The competition has become tougher for Martinelli with Champions League football to contest with, as well as Leandro Trossard’s goal-scoring form in the run-in.
It has left many wondering who will pick up the starting berth with next season looming. Martinelli didn’t hit the numbers we’ve become accustomed to and is facing the prospect of winning his place back during Arsenal’s pre-season tour of the USA. Perhaps a couple of goals from set-pieces would do the trick.
Speaking on the use of screens to block off defenders at set-plays, Jover highlighted the difference in physicality in the Premier League. Interesting to hear him talk about it given how long Arsenal were taking to set up their corners last season.
“Yes, they are widely used,” Jover said. “The principle is to stay at the limit, depending on cultural differences in arbitration. We were surprised, sometimes, in the Champions League, where we saw that defenders fall on purpose to influence the referee. But, in England, it’s daring, because the referee doesn’t whistle.”
The German-born coach has had an unconventional career ever since becoming a video analyst at Montpellier, where Olivier Giroud galvanised the team to their first-ever Ligue 1 title.
He then worked under Thomas Frank at Brentford, before moving to Manchester City on the recommendation of one Arteta.
Keeping hold of Jover and improving yet again from free-kicks and corners will be high on Arsenal’s priority list for the summer with many teams looking to emulate their dominance from dead balls.
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