Former Chelsea striker Didier Drogba has claimed he has the answer to stop Arsenal's recent threat from set pieces. Ever since enlisting the help of renowned coach Nicolas Jover, the Gunners have become one of the most dangerous sides from set plays and currently lead the way with seven conversions in the Premier League after their double against Manchester United in midweek.
Their recent reliance on corners and free-kicks has seen the likes of Dimitar Berbatov label Mikel Arteta's side as the next Stoke City, who became famous for their use of unique set-piece routines. Now, Ivorian icon Drogba has given his thoughts on how best to disrupt the likes of Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka as they take their corner kicks.
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Drogba Explains How to Stop Arsenal From Corners
The ex-forward has suggested a rather simple solution
Didier Drogba | Chelsea
Responding to an Instagram post detailing Arsenal's current corner kick routine, Drogba commented that the key to stopping the Gunners from being so effective was to position a player as close to the set piece taker as possible. The 46-year-old stated, as per The Independent:
"Put someone in front of the corner taker 10m away and tell him to jump so the corner taker won’t be able to deliver a good ball. Then you ask your goalkeeper to take all the sloppy balls and ask your defenders to protect him."
Drogba added emojis of a person shrugging their shoulders after the message, implying that the solution wasn't a difficult one to come up with.
However, as yet, no team has attempted the former Marseille man's technique to stop Arsenal, who have scored from corners against Manchester City, Tottenham, and Manchester United this season. Mikel Arteta's side may also relish the possibility of a new law being trialled, which could see goalkeepers concede corners as punishment for time-wasting.
The new law, implemented in English football at under-21 level, is designed as a deterrent for goalkeepers holding onto the ball for too long. Referees will count down from five seconds to let the goalkeeper know how much time they have to put the ball back into play.
All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt - accurate as of 07/12/2024.