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As we all know, set-pieces are – and will continue to be – one of the defining stories of this Premier League season. Whether you view that as good or bad, right or wrong, teams must adapt and make the most of these increasingly decisive moments.
It wasn’t long ago that scoring from a set-play was considered the mark of so-called “lesser” sides – teams who could physically impose themselves to snatch valuable points from the league’s more glamorous clubs.
Not anymore.
Corners, in particular, are now very much in vogue. A record 19% of all Premier League goals this season have come from corners, while 67 goals have been scored from set-pieces excluding penalties, accounting for 27.8% of all goals so far – significantly higher than any other season in the past decade.
At the forefront of this trend are the Premier League leaders, Arsenal, who have scored more goals from set-pieces than any other team this season. But this isn’t some new development under Mikel Arteta. Since the start of the 2023–24 campaign, Arsenal have been among Europe’s elite when it comes to maximising these opportunities – scoring at least 11 more goals from corners than any other side across the top five European leagues during that time.
So why the sudden criticism?
It’s not as if these goals have come out of nowhere. Yet now that Arsenal sit four points clear at the top of the Premier League – six ahead of Manchester City and seven clear of last seaons’s champions Liverpool – some seem eager to diminish their success.
Sure, it might not always be the most attractive football, but for years Arsenal were praised for their style while being criticised for falling short when it mattered most. Perhaps it’s this shift in approach – this ability to win in different ways – that could finally deliver their first league title in over 20 years.
We’ve seen countless times over the last few seasons how Arsenal’s attacking flair has blown teams away, only for them to be exposed in big games – like those costly defeats to Manchester City at home and away in 2023. They were branded naive back then, accused of lacking the guile to grind out results. Yet now that they’re doing exactly that, the narrative has turned again.
This Arsenal side isn’t short of talent, but what truly sets them apart is how effectively they function as a unit. That cohesion – that collective strength – is what’s allowing them to pull clear of their rivals.
And in truth, this resilience isn’t new for Arsenal. It harks back to the George Graham era, when the Gunners were built on defensive solidity and discipline. Arteta’s team seems to be reviving that tradition – combining modern attacking patterns with a pragmatic, structured backbone.
If they continue in this vein, Arsenal could well end their long wait for the Premier League title – and perhaps even mount a serious challenge for the Champions League, another trophy Arteta will be desperate to bring to North London.