Arsenal Training Session
Mikel Arteta could write himself into the history books at Arsenal this season (Image: Getty)
Whatever happens between now and the end of May, it will almost certainly define Mikel Arteta’s managerial career. The Spaniard will either be the man to end Arsenal’s wait for a league title, become the club’s first-ever European Cup-winning coach, both, or, rather inexplicably, once again fall at the final hurdle.
The latter doesn’t bear thinking about for Arsenal fans, given that for the majority of the season, the Gunners have been favourites in all four competitions. The other outcome not mentioned is a domestic cup triumph or two, but after so many years of yearning, it’s one of the big two titles that everyone connected with Arsenal craves.
But if we go to that hypothetical happy place Arsenal supporters will be dreaming of and say they win one of – or even both – the Premier League or Champions League, it does throw up an interesting conundrum.
In pursuit of glory, it’s fair to say Arteta has become more Jose Mourinho than Pep Guardiola at times, with a heavy emphasis on defensive stability and, of course, set pieces.
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Arsenal fans won’t care, and assuming it delivers silverware, nor should they. Arteta spotted a glitch in the system and, along with set-piece coach Nicolas Jover, has exploited it to their advantage. It’s the first week of March, and Arsenal boast the joint-most goals from corners in Premier League history.
They joined West Brom in 2016-17 and Oldham in 1992-93 as having scored 16 times from corners, and while the company they keep in that regard might tell you all you need to know about the attractiveness of this style, its effectiveness can’t be argued with. But what next?
Opposition teams will eventually clock on and find a way to put an end to, or at least limit, Arsenal’s threat from corners. It might come too late to stop any potential silverware success this season. It might not even arrive until next season, or the one after that. But as is the case with all tactical trends, someone, somewhere will eventually find an antidote.
Arsenal v Chelsea - Premier League
What happens when the Arsenal set-piece goals run out? (Image: Getty)
That’s not even to mention the prospect of referees clamping down on the grappling and holding either. Arsenal set-pieces resemble a rugby scrum at times, and there have been occasions where referees would’ve been justified in blowing up to award a foul in the opposite direction.
The bottom line is, this style of play isn’t sustainable.
It’s Arteta’s biggest strength right now, because it’s the only thing Arsenal’s opponents have no answer to. But when/if the initial phase of success comes and ultimately goes, where do Arsenal go from then?
It’s not to say that Arsenal are solely dependent on set pieces, because as demonstrated in the recent win against Tottenham, they’re not. But they’re also not far behind.
The win against Chelsea marked the ninth time Arsenal have scored a match-winning goal from a corner so far this season – you guessed it, another Premier League record.
Maybe this is just the initial phase of Arteta’s masterplan. Perhaps it’s a case of getting that first title win over the line by hook or by crook, and then the prettier stuff will follow.
But it’s hard to see that being the case, and while it might be working well right now, Arteta’s biggest strength could soon become his kryptonite if he’s not careful.