The set-piece dominance overshadows the open-play woes for Arsenal. Arsenal have, under Mikel Arteta, become an exceptional set-piece team. Their reliance on dead-ball situations has masked some serious limitations. They have faced this in their open play which may hurt their ability to win a title. To put things into perspective, Arsenal has scored 31 total set-piece goals since the start of the 2023/24 season. Thich is 11 more than any other team in the Premier League. This season, almost 50.1% of their expected goals (xG) have gone from set plays. This is also the highest by any team in the division. While this effectiveness has secured points—including their matchwinner against Manchester United—it highlights a concerning dependency on methods beyond open-play creativity.
A Tale of Two Attacks: The Statistical Divide
The evidence seemingly set out an opposite to Arsenal’s attacking performance. So far this season they are second placed for xG from set-pieces. But they are second-bottom for xG that generates from open play. The floodgates opened in the match against Liverpool. There, whilst contested, they managed just 0.3 xG from open play. Moreover, they rated just six shots from open moments of the game. This comes on the back of Arsenal finishing just eighth for open-play xG last season. So the trails in open play performance are well defined. This is because they are nearly 20 xG behind, Liverpool and Man City are no better.
The Strategic Risk of Over-Reliance
This over-reliance poses a strategic risk. Set-pieces, while valuable, are less reliable over a full season in comparison to consistent open-play creativity. The problem compounds by the team’s difficulty in creating high-quality chances from general play. Despite investing in attack with signings like Viktor Gyokeres and Noni Madueke, the Gunners have struggled to provide service to their new striker. Gyokeres’ mixed start—anonymous against Manchester United and Liverpool despite a brace against Leeds—underscores this adaptation period.
A Mentality Problem?
Critics including ex-defender Gael Clichy claim Arsenal have developed a mentality of focusing “on not getting beaten rather than winning” in big matches. This mindset, with its inherent caution, may be stunting their capacity to threaten opponents substantially in open play, as the players may feel like second guessing their responses and not committing to play in risk taking manner. Even though using set-pieces continues to be a brightly shining light for them, the team needs to find some much-needed creativity if they are to stop their Premier League title drought.