Sean Dyche, Arsenal, Everton
Everton and Arsenal are set to face off (Credit: Imago)
Zak Anderton
Fri 13 December 2024 9:40, UK
Everton were namechecked by former Manchester United coach Rene Meulensteen after he said set-pieces can be a “beautiful art form” that are now “integral” to the way football is played.
Everton have had plenty of success with set-pieces this season with the likes of James Tarkowski and Ashley Young earning the Toffees points by netting the odd goal here and there.
In fact, Young became the oldest person to score a free-kick in Premier League history thanks to the free-kick he bagged against Wolves on 4 December, showing how important they can be.
Speaking on BBC Radio Merseyside’s Total Sport show (12 December), Meulensteen shared his thoughts on Everton and set-pieces in the modern game namechecking the Toffees and Arsenal as specialists in the “art form”.
“Set pieces can be a beautiful art form, it can be. I don’t think it’s ugly football at all,” he said.
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“It’s an integral part of the game and it’s very clear that teams that put a lot of effort in it, in terms of the defensive set-up and defending set pieces, they won’t concede a lot of goals and the teams that spend a lot of time taking corners and wide free kicks, especially if you’ve got a specialist, can pay huge dividends.
“That shows with Arsenal and Everton this season.”
Everton need to continue making the most of set-pieces this season
While Everton’s season as a whole hasn’t been the best for the club, their effectiveness from set-pieces is something that has been a plus point.
Granted, the fact that most of their team are tall and physically strong no doubt helps matters and allows them to be dominant in this area.
Dyche’s teams have always been clinical from dead-ball situations and it feels like he’s almost fine-tuned specific methods to get the most out of his players.
Their set-pieces have been particularly impressive to watch this season but that’s largely down to the fact that players such as Tarkowski and Michael Keane are among their ranks.
Michael Keane
Everton defender Michael Keane [Credit: Imago]
The Merseyside outfit currently sit 15th in the Premier League table and are looking to drag themselves away from being involved in yet another relegation battle.
Their form over the last month or so hasn’t been the best but if they can perform as they did against Wolves on a consistent basis, it feels like they should have more than enough to stay safe this term.
In other Everton news, Richard Dunne believes Chelsea could look at making a move for a Toffees ace in the near future.
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