Call them Stoke 2.0 all you want, but Mikel Arteta's set pieces look unstoppable at the moment with specialist coach Nicolas Jover pulling the strings.
With a whopping 30 goals from set plays since the start of last season and more than a fifth of their goals this year coming from corners, they could be key to Arsenal winning the title.
Here, our tactical expert Dean Scoggins – from SunSport YouTube show Tactics Exposed – breaks down why the Gunners are so dangerous from corners and the secrets behind their success…
1) THREE T's: TRIGGER, TIMING AND TRACK
THE precision is incredible. There's the hand up from Declan Rice or Bukayo Saka to start the routine.
From there, a two-second pause gives the 'train' at the back post time to get into position.
Then it's about the trajectory of the ball. Rice prefers it to be flatter at the front post, while Saka hits it higher and more back and center.
2) THE PUZZLE
ALL the pieces need to come together for Arsenal – and everyone in the region has a role.
The players behind the back post make their moves towards the front post – and they mix it up to confuse the defenders.
But they fit into gaps between the defenders, one between each row… to complete the puzzle.
This means that, if the man at the front post is beaten, Arsenal have a 'jumper' ahead of every other defender – making it virtually impossible for the opposition to see or stop.
Jurrien Timber's goal against Manchester United came from exactly this move.
3) CHAOS CREATOR
THE Gunners have a free man on every corner.
United tried to create a 'force field' around the goalkeeper to stop Arsenal's trick of blocking him.
The new chaos-creator ran over the goalkeeper's eyeline, forcing him to think twice before leaving his line.
Often one player runs first to the front post to push the first defender under the ball, freeing up the 'puzzle jumpers' to score.
4) HOW DO YOU STOP IT?
IT is very difficult. United had a good plan, two players at the front post to prevent one of them being taken out by a blocker.
However, the players did not do their job. Bruno Fernandes was sucked under the ball and Rasmus Hojlund was too far outside the post line, making both redundant.
I would like to see a central defender – or dominant central attacker – occupying the front post and not leaving the zone!
My advice for defenders: start at the post, literally touch it and attack the ball. Don't wait for it.
5) PLAYING FOR ANGLES!
ONE way to stop this is of course to not concede corners.
In the era of Rory Delap's long throws at Stoke, we saw Hull keeper Boaz Myhill kick the ball out for a corner rather than having it thrown into the penalty area.
But Arsenal created many chances to win corners.
One, somewhat risky, tactic would be to allow crosses from wide, supporting central defenders and goalkeepers to deal with them better.
Just don't 'Rashford' and concede unnecessary corners, which inevitably means goals!
Comments