Mikel Arteta and Arsenal are well known for their unique training ground nuances, but one banner in particular that adorns London Colney appears to be bearing fruit
Gabriel's has been a particular winner when it comes to Arsenal's training ground message
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Image: David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
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Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal are now firing on all cylinders thanks to their clinical set pieces, but the writing was on the wall – quite literally.
Despite a mediocre beginning to the campaign, Arteta’s Gunners now find themselves second in the Premier League and flying of late, having won their last three matches by a three-goal margin or more.
Part of the success has been down to their deadly set pieces, with defender Gabriel particularly effective from corners. The Brazilian has found the back of the net four times so far this term, including a winner against Tottenham, a pivotal header against Manchester City, and the opener in their last league game against West Ham.
So fans won't be shocked to learn of a relevant slogan imprinted on the wall at the club’s training ground. The set-piece-orientated phrase is a testament to the tenacity and hard work put into developing a diverse and victory-obsessed attacking front - something club legend David Seaman agrees is now difficult to stop.
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“It’s done on the training ground, and there’s a lot of time spent on that. The set piece coach, Nico [Jover], obviously he’s really good, and the results show you that,” the former goalkeeper stated on his Seaman Says podcast, brought to you by Betway.
“There’s a massive slogan on the wall – 'set pieces win games' – at the training ground. And they’re showing you that, the amount of prep that goes into that.”
Gabriel, who also scored in the 5-1 routing of Sporting CP in the Champions League, isn’t the only beneficiary of this multiple-pronged attacking approach, as Seaman believes the whole side are better for it.
“And it’s not just about Gabriel,” he added. “It’s about all the other blocks that go on. Watch how Timber blocks the near-post guy from getting in and heading it. Then there’s players going past the goalkeeper. Ben White last season was incredible at blocking the goalkeeper in.
Gabriel's header won his side the north London derby (
Image:
Getty Images)
“Watch [the opening goal against West Ham], Antonio finds himself going into a group of players. He goes left, Gabriel goes the other way.
“He can’t get anywhere near him because there are too many players in front of him. I’ve seen it when teams have put a man on Gabriel and he still gets away. He’s a big guy, he’s easily 6ft 4in, and he’s brilliant at it.”
The north London side’s clash with league-leaders Liverpool in October also saw a pivotal set-piece scored – Declan Rice’s inch-perfect free-kick converted by Mikel Merino – and ex-England ace Matthew Upson, who spoke alongside Seaman, believes that this edge could give Arsenal a title advantage.
He said: “We’re in a time when it’s total football – play out from the back at any cost. For goalkeepers, it’s so difficult. But then the flip side is that set pieces are literally defining who wins the Premier League. It’s that big a deal.
The defender also netted against Man City ( Image: PA)
“I played for managers like Tony Pulis at Stoke, and our set pieces kept the lifeline. In the modern game, people would be stepping back and saying, 'look at Stoke and their set piece coach'.
“Arsenal are doing it now. The belief that Gabriel has – every time that ball goes in the box, he’s got a presence that he’s going to score, and it builds that belief in the team. Now they’re a super set-piece side.”
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