Arsenal have turned into the set-piece kings of the Premier League, but that is not enough for their manager Mikel Arteta who wants them to dominate on all fronts
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Mikel Arteta on Arsenal' aims to be the king of everything
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Mikel Arteta wants Arsenal to be the “kings of everything” after championing set-pieces.
Gunners boss Arteta has overseen Arsenal ’s transformation into becoming the most dangerous team in the Premier League when it comes to corners. They have now scored 22 goals from corners since the start of last season which is seven more than any of their rivals and they now carry an aerial threat from every set-piece.
But Arteta says he will not be satisfied until they have got even better at everything, starting with defending set-pieces and a completely different target of increasing his squad’s value. Arteta said: “We want to be the kings of everything. Set pieces, the best in the world. High press, the best in the world. In open spaces, the best in the world. The best atmosphere in the stadium and the best at everything.
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"Before it was we didn’t score enough, we were soft at defending, we didn’t have mentality, we were not physical enough, we didn’t beat big teams away from home for 17 years, 20 years, 22 years. We want to be the best at everything. We want to have the best academy, be the best at player development, recruit the best players, best coaches. That’s the aim.
“We are not perfect at all, even in that department defending set-pieces. We conceded three chances and the three of them were coming from those situations, so there is a lot to improve and the margins are always there for us to explore and try to get better. We can still improve a lot. Last year we scored more goals than ever before in the history of the club. We can do things better, the defence, the environment, everything we are trying to improve on.”
Arsenal scored from two corners against Manchester United
Arsenal scored from two corners against Manchester United
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Arsenal’s set-piece guru Nico Jover has transformed their strength and goals from corners but Arteta was very open about their next target, albeit he was not giving away any tactical secrets. Arteta revealed they had set a target of increasing his squad’s value to become the most expensive and valuable in Europe based on transfer values, contracts and potential. According to industry figures, Arsenal’s recently eclipsed £1.1billion.
Arteta said: “We are always trying. We are monitoring the team and understanding not just the team but also the squad. One of the main things was the value of the squad. We want to be kings of value in a squad in the world and last year I think we were the best in Europe. Before that, we were so far behind.
Set-piece coach Nicolas Jover has received huge praise
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“We did it for three or four years and last year was the first or second time that we had the highest value in any squad in Europe. That was our objective and now it’s a reality.”
Arsenal also need to improve upon their results against Sunday’s opponents Fulham from last season. They lost at Craven Cottage when the title challenge unraveled between Christmas and New Year plus they also dropped two points at home to them.
Fulham boss Marco Silva also boasts a string of ex-Arsenal players including Bernd Leno, Emile Smith Rowe, Alex Iwobi and Reiss Nelson who is on a season-long loan and therefore ineligible. Arteta added: “They’re doing very well. I’m very happy for them. Reiss is still one of our own but the rest as well. It will be great to see them.
Arsenal lost at Fulham last season (
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“Every game is so difficult and at that time we lost a few games so It was even harder. We have to do things much better than last year, that is for sure.
It’s a big challenge. Last year we lost five points against them. I’ve always been very complimentary about them, about their coach and what they do. It’s always a really tough place to go.”
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