Nottingham Forest face Manchester United on Saturday and will do so with an endorsement from Man City's fabled boss ringing in their ears
Brian Dick Reach Football Correspondent
15:53, 29 Oct 2025
Everton boss Sean Dyche made sure his team put up a fight in defeat to Pep Guardiola's Man City
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Sean Dyche and Pep Guardiola(Image: Getty Images)
Pep Guardiola believes Nottingham Forest have one of the best exponents of football's new fascination at their disposal.
While the footballing world fawns over Mikel Arteta, Arsenal and their ability to score set-piece goals, Guardiola has reminded the world the concept is hardly new.
Indeed he talked up new Forest boss Sean Dyche as 'one of the best', as manifested during his time in charge of Burnley between 2012-22.
The 54-year-old took the Clarets into the Premier League and kept them there for six seasons before departing Turf Moor.
That expertise is now available to Forest, who currently sit third bottom with just one league win so far.
Man City boss Guardiola said: “It’s true that people use every throw-in like a corner and put 10 players there in the box.
"We suffered when we played at Brentford, or look at Brentford against Liverpool which we saw in our hotel, every action (Michael) Kayode put in the box. And Kayode was man of the match.
“Today set pieces are a threat. I remember a long time ago with Sean Dyche in Burnley. Burnley were an incredible threat in the long balls, second balls.
"Dyche is one of the best by far doing these kinds of aspects. It’s not new, he did it before.
"Or Sam Allardyce. Or I remember when I was not here, Stoke City. Do you remember Stoke City when they made the throws?
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"Now it’s just more and more teams doing that but back then maybe Stoke was the exception.
“I remember when I was at Barcelona and Bayern Munich, Arsene Wenger talked about going to play at Stoke City but now it happens a lot of times.
“Maybe it didn’t happen (much) when I arrived, maybe (just) at Burnley, but now it’s a fact. And you have to pay attention. But still I dream to play.”
Arsenal have scored nine league goals from set-pieces already this season – plus five from open play and two penalties.
Chelsea are not far behind with eight (plus eight from open play and one penalty).
Forest and Man City, however, are at the other end of the spectrum. The Reds have two of their five goals coming from restarts, while City are yet to score from a set-piece although they have managed 12 from open play, three more on the counter-attack and two own goals.
Guardiola said: “Every manager does what they believe. I want to score from free kicks and corners – I’m not naïve to that. I want it. But I spend my time on what we have to do to play better, attack better and create chances. To score goals.
“Of course I pay attention but I know I’m not the manager to try to… it’s what I’ve done all my career. I remember at Burnley when it was tough, we conceded only one corner or maybe not even one. Why? Because we controlled the second balls. The best kind of way to defend these games is in that way.
“But for that, you have to be good in a lot of aspects and we are working on it. I will, until the end, continue to work mainly on our game. And sometimes adapt, when we have to do it.
“We did it at Brentford incredibly well. (Set piece coach) James (French) made an incredible job seducing our players into how we should defend these kinds of actions. It was unbelievable, the same at Arsenal. We conceded a lot of corners against Arsenal because we didn’t control the game.”
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