IT has become one of football's big questions, one that has stumped every Premier League manager and set-piece analyst.
How do you prevent Arsenal from corners?
Since the start of last season, the Gunners have now scored 22 goals – seven more than their nearest rivals Manchester City and eight more than Prem leaders Liverpool.
Two of them came against Manchester United: Jurrien Timber and William Saliba scored in the second half to give Mikel Arteta's men a crucial win as they chased Arne Slot's Reds.
Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka have been the architects of their deliveries and have each registered seven assists since the start of the 2023/2024 season – more than any other player.
United legend Dimitar Berbatov joked that Arsenal are the new Stoke City of the top flight – a side under Tony Pulis who terrorized the so-called 'bigger clubs' with set-piece mastery.
Asked whether Arsenal have a psychological edge over opponents from set pieces, Timber said: “I think so, I hope so. [The team] look really dangerous and we are really confident in them.
Arteta will argue that there is more to Arsenal than just efficiency. They have scored 28 Prem goals from fourteen games so far, only six of which have come from corners.
But there's no denying that it's a deadly weapon that will fuel yet another title challenge, something opponents will have to figure out sooner or later.
So, how do you deal with it? SunSport's Jordan Davies has a few solutions:
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DOUBLE TEAM SALIBA AND GABRIEL
Of the six corner goals Arsenal have scored this season, Brazilian striker Gabriel has four, and in his absence against United, Saliba grabbed one – albeit with a bit of luck off the back of the Frenchman.
The centre-back duo is undoubtedly the biggest threat, so why do teams insist on going zonal, just as Ruben Amorim's United tried in the Emirates?
Man-marking doesn't seem to help either, so maybe it's time for some risky tactics by putting two defenders on both Gabriel and Saliba and praying no one else from Arsenal steps up?
Admittedly, this is a dangerous option.
Arsenal are a team full of 6ft tall giants like Thomas Partey, Riccardo Calafiori, Mikel Merino and Kai Havertz, but they also fill the box with the likes of Timber, Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard – small boys in comparison.
And if you then let Timber sneak in at the near post and shoot in, as United did, that's because of late defending.
But if you play the odds and strike out the big hitters, that's going to shake things up, right? As Rice said at full-time: “As long as our big centre-backs keep scoring, there is no problem.”
USE THE EURO BLUEPRINT
Arsenal have at times struggled to replicate their Prem form on the continent, most notably in the Porto and Inter Milan matches in the Champions League this calendar year.
Against Porto in February, 10 corners came and went without finding the net or even hitting the target, losing 1-0 to the Portuguese giants in the last 16 first leg.
And at the San Siro in November, Arsenal failed to seriously test Inter's defense from 13 corners in another 1-0 defeat in this year's league stage.
This may have to do with the difference in playing style. Arsenal's physicality and 'dark arts' in the penalty area usually go unpunished in the Prem, but European referees are more happy with the whistle.
Porto's players were more than happy to step on the deck, knowing that a mistake was likely to come their way.
By comparison, during their 5-2 defeat to West Ham last weekend, Gabriel was able to get to the back post and fire in unnoticed after blocker Timber gave Lucas Paqueta a little push.
Once again a risky strategy when it comes to English referees, but one that may encourage VAR to take a closer look.
DO NOT BLOCK CROSSING
It sounds like a silly suggestion, but Amorim explained his theory on how Arsenal can increase their chances of getting into good positions and potentially winning corners.
He said: “If you follow the Premier League for a long time you can see it [Arsenal are the best at set-pieces].
“They have big players and on every occasion Saka and Martinelli play one against one, often going to the outside and crossing.
“They know that if the cross goes well, they will score. If it's a corner, they score. It's amazing how they change games.”
Arteta responded with the following: “We play with inverted wingers. They develop a lot indoors, so there is not much space inside.
“If they leave there is a lot of space for the full-back or for the six. If not, then before nine, if not, then you can go outside. We have to look at all sides.”
So the answer is relatively simple. Encourage Arsenal inside, or if they come outside and want to cross… let them, instead of blocking for a dreaded corner that will probably end in a goal.
Hire BIELSA's spies
Nicolas Jover – Arsenal's long-term coach – is the man with the magic touch at the moment, producing NFL-style routines that are constantly evolving and adapting to the situation and the opponent.
Since arriving in North London in July 2021, he has transformed Arsenal into one of the most formidable sides in Europe when it comes to both players.
And perhaps the only way to get inside his head is to go to Arsenal's training base in London Colney and look through some bushes to work out his methods.
Former Leeds boss Marcelo Bielsa admitted that one of his coaching staff spied on every team in the Championship in the 2018/2019 season and paid a subsequent £200,000 fine.
On how often Arsenal train set pieces, Timber said: “Not so much to be honest, but it's not just corners, it's every moment in the game.
“But at the same time, there's not a lot of time to spend on it.”
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