From Sky Sports · Nick Wright, Adam Smith and David Fraser · · 2m
Arsenal Set-Piece Scoring Drop Explained
Arsenal's set-piece scoring has stalled after being set-piece kings last season.
In brief
Arsenal's set-piece scoring has stalled after being set-piece kings last season. Arsenal scored 25 Premier League non-penalty set-piece goals last season but have none this season, with manager Mikel Arteta attributing the drop to luck and adapting to new Premier League rules on corner play. Originally reported by Sky…
Arsenal's set-piece dominance
Arsenal scored a Premier League-high 25 non-penalty set-piece goals last season.
Current set-piece drought
Seven games into the new campaign, Arsenal are one of only four sides yet to score a non-penalty set-piece goal.
Set-piece coach impact
The addition of Nicolas Jover to their backroom staff in 2021 coincided with improved set-piece performance.
Manager's explanation
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta attributed the drop to luck and improved open-play performance.
Opta data shows underperformance
Arsenal rank as one of the Premier League's biggest underperformers relative to set-piece expected goals.
Expected goal performance
Arsenal's set-piece chances worth 2.50 expected goals, underperforming by a bigger margin than Liverpool and Nottingham Forest.
Recent set-piece examples
Kai Havertz and Gabriel Magalhaes headed chances over the bar from Declan Rice deliveries.
Premier League rule changes
The Premier League has implemented rules to reduce grappling, holding and blocking from corners.
Manager's adaptation strategy
Arteta said they must adjust to rules and give credit to opponents who defend better.
Corner delivery trends
Arsenal have taken 15 per cent of corners short, up from nine per cent last term.
Corner volume decline
Arsenal's average of 4.7 corners per game is 17 per cent lower than last season's 5.7.
Set-piece expected goals drop
Arsenal's set-piece expected goals per game dropped from 0.56 to 0.36.
Open-play improvement
Arsenal are scoring and creating more in open play despite recent struggles.
Future set-piece prospects
Arsenal's set-piece scoring may return soon with more corners and better finishing.
The key point
Arsenal scored 25 Premier League non-penalty set-piece goals last season but have none this season, with manager Mikel Arteta attributing the drop to luck and adapting to new Premier League rules on corner play.
