Former Manchester City defender Kyle Walker said that he finds defending Arsenal corners “horrific” in a recent interview.
Arsenal have ben sensational this season, both defensively and in attack, but one of their major strengths which has put them ahead of their rivals has been just how good they have been from set-pieces.
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The Gunners have received a lot of criticism for their reliance on set-pieces, but Mikel Arteta has been able to turn it into an art, which has given them plenty of match-winning moments across the season.
Their ability to get centre-backs Gabriel and William Saliba in the perfect position to score from corners will have baffled defenders across the Premier League, including some of the best and most experienced in the game.
Kyle Walker says defending an Arsenal corner is “horrific”
Former Man City right-back Kyle Walker has plenty of experience against the Gunners. He is now at Burnley and recently announced his retirement from international football.
During his announcement interview with the Overlap, Gary Neville asked Walker about going up against Arsenal’s corners, and he described the experience as “horrific” every time.
Walker said: “Horrific. Horrific. It’s strange, but the movement is simply not standard in football. When you are constantly glancing over your shoulder, witnessing Gabriel and Saliba, these towering six-foot-four players charging towards you.”
The defender recalled a game at the Etihad last season when Gabriel was able to score from a corner against him, and he said he just found him so confusing to defend against.
Walker added: “I recall getting beaten on a goal at City, where he attempted to make contact with me, and I was pushing him away. Suddenly, with one movement here and another behind, I lost track of him. I lost him. We were employing a zonal marking system at City, and I was assigned to mark Gabriel, thinking, ‘he’s not going to score this one, he’s not going to score this one.’ Goal.”
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