Set-piece kings Arsenal trade style for steel to secure Premier League title

As Arsenal ended their 22-year wait for a Premier League title, there was an irony in how Mikel Arteta built the champions — not on the idealism and aesthetic style of play once associated with the club, but through the ruthless pragmatism of set-pieces.

Arsenal celebrated their title on Tuesday after Manchester City were held to a 1-1 draw by Bournemouth, sparking wild scenes of joy around the Emirates Stadium.

City had to win to take the fight to the final day but fell short and can no longer catch their rivals.

Arsenal’s efficiency on set-pieces in the face of injuries in attack and stubborn defensive blocks became the cornerstone of their goalscoring prowess this season as Gunners transformed into cold-blooded title contenders.

It was not as if Arsenal abandoned their attacking principles entirely, but the subtle shift was necessitated when they faced teams that sat back and gave them little space to work their magic in and around the box.

After three years of finishing second, Arteta realised things had to change if they were to get their hands on the trophy for the first time since Arsene Wenger’s ‘Invincibles’ conquered England in 2003-04.

But the Spanish coach did not change the club’s identity so much as expand its attacking repertoire.

They were scoring goals from open play at will in the Champions League where games were far more open, but the Premier League posed a different problem.

“I would like to play with three players extra in my own half to get some beautiful football. This is not the reality of football,” Arteta said in March.

“If you want to watch that football, you have to go to a different country because in the Premier League, for the last two seasons or three seasons, this is not the case.”

In trusting Arsenal’s set-piece coach Nicolas Jover, Arteta discovered something far less romantic but perhaps far more decisive.

The numbers do not lie: Arsenal have scored 24 goals from set-pieces in the Premier League -- breaking the record for champions set by Manchester United in 2012-13.

Their 18 goals from corners surpassed the previous record by any team in a Premier League season, according to data analysts Opta.

They also have the highest percentage of goals from dead-ball situations (36%) among all champions, underlining why there has been a raging debate on Arsenal “winning ugly”.

When questioned about Arsenal’s reliance on set-piece goals, an unapologetic Arteta said: “I’m upset that we don’t score more!”

CHAOS IN THE BOX: Seeing Arsenal players celebrate winning a corner became a source of anxiety for opponents while Arteta’s side perfected the art of creating chaos in the box the moment Declan Rice or Bukayo Saka raised their hand before whipping in a cross.

Their set-piece routines have been executed with clinical precision using decoys and blockers to disrupt defenders and goalkeepers, alongside a touch of the dark arts subtle enough to evade even the sharpest eyes in the VAR room.

The transformation has also reshaped Arsenal physically as they are now an imposing side with an aura that is noticeable even in the tunnel when the teams line up before kickoff.

It is a stark departure from the fragile sides of Wenger’s early years at the Emirates Stadium when they were routinely overpowered and outmuscled in the box.

Players like Gabriel attack the ball with no regard for their own safety while Jurrien Timber and the formidable William Saliba provide both menace and authority.

Title races can be decided by crucial moments in games and it is no wonder that Arsenal also broke the record for most match-winning goals scored from a corner in a season as early as March.

Whether that approach can deliver success on the grandest stage remains to be seen, with Arsenal preparing to face Paris St Germain in the Champions League final, the ultimate test of the cold efficiency that has defined their season.

Agencies