LONDON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 04: Jurrien Timber of Arsenal scores his team's first goal with a header as Andre Onana of Manchester United fails to make a saveduring the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Manchester United FC at Emirates Stadium on December 04, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
Arsenal are renowned for their threat from corners
Vindicated Tony Pulis believes that the 'penny has dropped' when it comes to set pieces after Premier League title challengers Arsenal were labelled the 'new Stoke City'.
Arsenal scored twice from corner kicks on Wednesday as they beat Manchester United 2-0 to strengthen their title charge. The Gunners have enjoyed great success from their inventive and dangerous set pieces under Mikel Arteta, with set-piece coach Nicolas Jover a huge asset.
Pulis' Stoke caused the big boys serious problems from corners, free-kicks and long throw-ins following their promotion to the in 2008, with Arsenal among the victims. Sixteen years on, the Gunners are being compared to Stoke, as former United striker Dimitar Berbatov told Prime Video Sport: "As we joke, Arsenal are the new Stoke City, right? Depending on set pieces, which can give you the win, as it was today."
Responding to the comparison on BBC Radio 5 Live, Pulis said: "They get it now. What I would say, and I want to make this clear, is that I think for corners - and we were very, very good at set plays at Stoke - but for corners, it was one season at West Brom when we scored the highest number of goals (from corners).
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"All the teams I've been at, most have been good at set plays, which is such an important part of the game, as Arsenal are showing, and I think it's coming more into fashion now with people having set play coaches up and down the country."
Pulis went on to say: "I was aware of how important those different situations would be to a team that was just coming into the Premier League and having to survive in the Premier League. The quality of the balls in is absolutely fantastic. Then you've got to have people who want to attack the ball and want to score. Arsenal have got that in abundance.
"If you look at my career all the way through from winning promotion at Gillingham, I got promoted from every division. I worked hard. I knew how important they were, I knew they would be a big factor for the teams I had.
"Doing it and making sure players knew how important it was, was all part of my set-up. I would set my teams up in lots of ways and set plays were as important as anything else."
Are Arsenal being unfairly ridiculed for their set piece success? Have your say in the comments section.
Stoke City caused chaos from corners under Tony Pulis ( Image: Clive Mason/Getty Images)
On Friday, Arteta was asked about Arsenal being labelled the 'kings of the set piece'. "We want to be the kings of everything," the Gunners boss replied ahead of Sunday's trip to Fulham. "On set pieces, the best in the world. High press, the best in the world. Attacking open spaces, the best in the world. Atmosphere in the stadium, the best. The best at everything.
"Before it was about, we did'tt score enough. We were soft defending, we didn't have mentality. We weren't physical enough. We could not challenge the top teams. 22 years, 17 years, 20 years without winning away from home big matches. We want to be the best at everything.
"We want to have the best academy, the best individual development for players. The best of the best. Recruit the best players, best coaches. That's the aim. That's the objective. If not, we have to go and do something else."
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