Analyzing Arsenal’s Set-Piece Dominance in the Champions League

Arsenal has established itself as a formidable force in set-piece situations within the Champions League, largely due to the strategic genius of set-piece coach Nicolas Jover. Under Mikel Arteta, the Gunners have transformed dead-ball opportunities into a consistent and potent weapon, contributing significantly to their success in recent seasons.

So, what are set-piece goals? According to Wikipedia; ” In association football, the term usually refers to free kicks and corners, but sometimes penalties, throw-ins and kick-offs. Many goals result from such positions, whether scored directly or indirectly.”

The Jover Effect: A Set-Piece Masterclass

Nicolas Jover, who joined Arsenal in 2021, has been widely credited as the “mastermind” behind the team’s remarkable improvement in set-piece effectiveness. His philosophy integrates set-piece tactics into Arsenal’s broader playing style, ensuring they are a constant threat. Arteta himself has lauded Jover’s “strong impact on the team.”

This specialized coaching has yielded impressive results: * In the 2023-2024 Premier League season, Arsenal topped the league for set-piece goals (excluding penalties) with 22, with an impressive 16 of these coming directly from corners, a tally that equalled a Premier League record. * Across Europe’s top-five leagues, Arsenal has led the way in goals from corners since the start of the 2023-2024 season, scoring 36 goals, five more than the next highest team. * For the 2024-2025 Premier League season, Arsenal continued their dominance, leading with 11 goals specifically from corners and adding 2 direct free-kick goals.

Champions League Dominance in Detail

Arsenal’s set-piece prowess has translated effectively into their Champions League campaigns:

• **2024-2025 Campaign:** The Gunners demonstrated their set-piece potency en route to reaching the semi-finals.
• * They scored a total of 31 goals in the Champions League during matches where they had more than zero corners.
• * A standout moment was their 3-0 quarter-final victory against Real Madrid in April 2025, where Declan Rice netted two stunning free-kick goals and Mikel Merino added a third, showcasing the variety of their set-piece threats.
• * Earlier in the same campaign, Bukayo Saka scored a direct free-kick against Paris Saint-Germain, marking Arsenal’s first such goal in the Champions League since November 2002.
• * Overall, in the 2024-2025 Champions League, three of Arsenal’s 16 total goals in one analyzed match were from set pieces.
• **Early 2025-2026 Campaign:** Arsenal has started the 2025-2026 Champions League season strongly, with 8 goals scored and no goals conceded across their initial matches, keeping 5 clean sheets. Declan Rice has already proven influential, leading the team in crosses (including corners).

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 Key Players in Set-Piece Execution

Several players are instrumental in Arsenal’s set-piece dominance:

• **Declan Rice:** A crucial component, Rice has provided the most assists from set plays since the start of the 2023-2024 season with nine. His exceptional free-kick ability was highlighted by his brace against Real Madrid in the Champions League. He also leads in crosses, including corners, in the early stages of the 2025-2026 season.
• **Bukayo Saka:** Often the primary corner taker from the right, Saka is a key provider, with five of Arsenal’s ten corner assists in the Premier League during the first 21 matches of the 2024-2025 season coming from him.
• **Gabriel Magalhães:** The Brazilian defender is a major aerial threat and has been a “standout performer” in set-piece situations, scoring four goals in the 2024-2025 season. He holds the record for the most Premier League goals by any defender since the start of the 2020-2021 season, with 14.
• **Mikel Merino & Kai Havertz:** Both midfielders have contributed with goals from set pieces, including Merino’s goal against Real Madrid and Havertz’s header in a Premier League match.

Defensive Solidity at Set-Pieces

Beyond their offensive prowess, Arsenal has also demonstrated strong defensive organization against set pieces. In the 2023-2024 Premier League season, they conceded the fewest set-piece goals. Their defensive record in the 2024-2025 Champions League group stage was particularly impressive, conceding just three goals in eight games and boasting the lowest expected goals against (xGA) at 5.82.

They also faced the fewest shots on target (19) and kept five clean sheets, indicating a comprehensive strength in dead-ball scenarios at both ends of the pitch. Whoscored.com lists “Defending set pieces” as a strength for Arsenal.

Adapting to Opposition Strategies

Arsenal’s dominance has not gone unnoticed by opponents. In a Champions League fixture against Arsenal, Monaco employed an innovative tactic to counter their set-piece threat. They left three attackers high up the pitch during Arsenal’s corners, forcing the Gunners to retain more players defensively and reducing their numbers in the penalty area. This strategy successfully blunted Arsenal’s usual set-piece advantage in that specific game.

Despite these adaptive tactics from rivals, Arsenal’s commitment to set-piece excellence, driven by Jover’s tactical innovations and the execution of key players, ensures that dead-ball situations remain a crucial component of their Champions League strategy.

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