Arsenal’s Set-Piece Dominance Leads to ‘New Stoke City’ Comparisons

Following Arsenal’s 2-0 triumph over Manchester United, in which dangerous corners resulted in both goals and numerous additional opportunities, commentators once more lauded the team’s proficiency from set-pieces. Expressions such as “Perfection”, “impossible to defend”, and “like Stoke City!” were used to describe their performance. After the match, manager Mikel Arteta expressed his hope that opposing teams would persist in their difficulty to devise a counter-strategy for a strength that is widely recognized but rarely effectively managed. This report examines key statistics and statements to illustrate Arsenal’s rise as “corner kings” and the reasons behind their comparison to Tony Pulis’s Stoke City. Statistical data highlights Arsenal’s exceptional performance from set-pieces. Since the beginning of last season, Arsenal has scored more goals from set-pieces (excluding penalties) than any other team across Europe’s top five leagues. Specifically, they have netted 22 goals from corners since the start of the 2023-24 season, surpassing Manchester City by seven goals, who are the next highest in the Premier League. In Europe’s top-five leagues, Arsenal also leads this category, holding a five-goal advantage over second-placed Bayer Leverkusen (17). During this timeframe, Mikel Arteta’s team has accumulated 30 goals from all set-pieces (excluding penalties), which constitutes 25.2% of their total 119 league goals. Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka share the most assists from set plays since the start of last season, each with 7. It is noted, however, that Everton holds the highest ratio of set-piece goals as a proportion of all goals in the same period, at 50%. For comparative purposes, Stoke City’s Premier League ratio under former manager Tony Pulis was 43.1%, derived from 81 set-piece goals out of a total of 188 goals. Tony Pulis managed Stoke in two separate periods, from 2002 to 2005 and again from 2006 to 2013. On BBC Radio 5 Live Sport, former Stoke manager Pulis, having been described as a “trailblazer” and a “set-piece guru,” light-heartedly remarked that it was unavoidable for other Premier League clubs to eventually adopt his approach. Pulis stated, “As Arsenal are showing it’s such an important part of the game. It is something that is coming more into fashion with teams up and down the country having set-play coaches.” He added, “It’s taken everyone a while to work it out, but it looks like the penny has dropped!” Pulis recognized that the quality of Arsenal’s corner kicks is “so good,” especially when facing teams employing zonal marking, making them a potent asset for Arteta’s squad. Pulis further elaborated, “If you’re breaking it down, I think the quality of corner kicks that Arsenal provide people to attack is absolutely fantastic.” He continued, “Also a lot of goals they have scored which I’ve seen have been scored against zonal marking. I always used to hope and pray teams would zonal mark because you have people standing and jumping.” Pulis concluded, “When it’s a running jump against a standing up, there’s not many people who will beat you. Arsenal are attacking the spaces in between the zonal markers and everyone is on the move.” Since the commencement of last season, 25.2% of Arsenal’s goals have originated from set-pieces (excluding penalties). The presence of set-piece coaches is now standard practice among elite football clubs, and Arsenal is considered by some to possess the finest in Nicolas Jover. Beyond extensive data analysis and diligent training ground efforts, an additional element has been humorously proposed as contributing to Arsenal’s achievements: a resemblance to the Stoke City team under Tony Pulis, a club frequently characterized as the quintessential direct, no-nonsense side that optimized its physical attributes. On Amazon Prime Sports after the match, former Manchester United and Tottenham striker Dimitar Berbatov remarked, “Arsenal are the new Stoke City – depending on set-pieces to give them the win,” delivering the comment with a smile. Roberto Martinez, who is both the head coach for Portugal and a former Everton manager, further commented, “We all suffered Stoke. I think it is a great credit to remember Tony Pulis.” During Pulis’s tenure, 43.1% of Stoke’s Premier League goals between 2008 and 2013 (81 out of 188) originated from set-pieces (excluding penalties), indicating that Arsenal has not yet reached that specific level of reliance. The text humorously suggests that perhaps a long-throw specialist akin to Rory Delap might be required. In contrast, other commentators and coaches were more inclined to commend the Gunners, with Gary Lineker characterizing the regularity of Arsenal’s set-piece execution as “extraordinary.” Speaking to Amazon, United manager Ruben Amorim described Arsenal’s corner routines as “incredible, especially the way they change the games, because sometimes they are not dominating. Today [the game] was really divided, no big opportunities and then one set-piece can change the game.” He further noted, “You can see in every situation Saka and [Gabriel] Martinelli go outside and they cross. They know if the cross is going well they can score. If it goes for a corner, they can score.” The general agreement appears to be that defending Arsenal’s set-pieces is indeed possible, but presents significant challenges. Several elements contribute to the extreme difficulty opponents face in defending Arsenal’s set-pieces, with excellent delivery being paramount. Former Arsenal defender Martin Keown, while analyzing Declan Rice’s delivery for Jurrien Timber’s opening goal on Match of the Day, stated, “Delivery is key, movement, blocking the goalkeeper. The ball is played over that first player [at the near post] and it’s perfection.” On Football Daily, Izzy Christiansen observed that many of Arsenal’s corner kicks were aimed directly at Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana, who was encircled by ‘blockers’. Furthermore, on Match of the Day, Amorim appeared to agree, stating, “They put a lot of players near the goalkeeper and it’s almost impossible to fight for the ball.” After the final whistle, speaking to Amazon, Rice commented, “We keep at it [set-pieces] all the time, we never get bored. With repetition you end up scoring goals.” He added, “When you go up for a corner it’s a chance to score a goal, not a chance to relax and chill.” Variety also plays a crucial role. Arsenal maintained an element of unpredictability against United, with their initial goal originating from a front-post delivery and their subsequent goal from a corner directed to the back post. Match of the Day pundit Micah Richards observed, “Sometimes they front-load the front post but then go to the back post, and sometimes they’ll have Gabriel in the middle. The key for Arsenal is being able to mix it up.” Keown contended that United failed to adequately challenge Arsenal in scoring from corners. He stated, “[United] are in a zonal system, no-one is picking up and it’s far too easy for Arsenal. They’re just passengers, it’s just naivety.” Even when opponents have employed a man-to-man marking system, they have achieved limited success. On social media, some fans are expressing dissatisfaction that Arsenal’s tactics involving blocks and subtle pushes often go unpenalized. Former Everton manager Martinez, speaking on Amazon, commented, “As coaches, when we prepare these strategies, you know what the opposition are going to do.” He further added, “The uniqueness of Arsenal’s work is that they always find a little trick that makes things impossible to defend if the delivery is right.”