Arsenal’s set-piece secrets: How Mikel Arteta’s ‘little nuisance’ uses Ben White’s dark arts, NFL tactics and a BASICS acronym to change the game

It was this “little nuisance”, as Gary Neville described it, who once again jumped and jumped on the touchline with glee. Nicolas Jover had helped build Arsenal to another significant victory in the title race with their trusted weapon: set pieces.

The path to three points in a tense north London derby against rivals Tottenham was unlocked in the 15th minute, Bukayo Saka’s corner tipped into the area of ​​the near post with Takehiro Tomiyasu ready to head it towards goal.

Waiting for the center to land in the mix had Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg panicking. He headed the ball into his own net.

The cameras then turned to the technical area and it was Arsenal mastermind Jover who landed in the arms of Mikel Arteta.

Neville joked, commenting: “There he is again. The stage guru. He’s a bit boring, this set-piece coach, but he’s damn good.

The cameras then turned to Arsenal mastermind Nicolas Jover.

Kai Havertz headed in a corner for Arsenal’s third goal against Tottenham on Sunday

He turns out to be pretty darn good, and his array of tricks and ploys certainly work. In the Premier League this season, Arsenal have scored the most goals from non-penalty set pieces (22), the most goals from corners (16) and have conceded the second fewest number of non-penalty set pieces (six ).

It’s this last statistic that is just as crucial as the score itself. As Spurs rained crosses and corners into the box in a frenzied final 10 minutes, the 42-year-old crouched, orchestrating the Gunners’ defensive strategy while Arteta was out of sight. The score is good, but not without defensive solidity at the other end.

It has not gone unnoticed throughout the campaign that when Arsenal have a set piece, the ever-active Arteta steps back into the technical area and Jover takes his place, giving instructions.

The pair’s relationship goes back much further than on-pitch training routines and working together at the north London club.

Arteta noticed the German-born Frenchman’s work at Brentford, where Jover transformed the club’s approach to set-pieces between July 2016 and 2018.

During this period as assistant coach to Dean Smith, before working briefly under current boss Thomas Frank, the Bees were, as they are now, obsessed with forward thinking about these marginal gains.

As for Jover, there was an immediate difference as he was given the license and time to instill his methods into the team. His next move is where the ambitious coach made his mark with the general public.

He was introduced to Manchester City by Arteta, then their assistant manager, who had noticed Jover’s work at Brentford.

The two men, who both speak English, French and Spanish, hit it off immediately when they met after the Spaniard contacted Jover.

Jover, right, impressed Arteta by converting Brentford’s set-pieces, leading him to introduce Manchester City’s set-piece coach.

Kyle Walker was involved in a heated confrontation with Jover when the Gunners beat Man City 1-0 at the Emirates in October.

When his contract ended in 2021, Jover joined Arteta at Arsenal – and the rest writes itself. The reunion of a couple who shares many similarities.

He mirrors Arteta in intensity and focus, and has the respect of the players. That passion could be seen in his confrontation with Man City’s Kyle Walker after Arsenal beat the club 1-0, with the men becoming involved in a heated exchange.

Both have a hard work ethic and an obsession with detail. Jover likes to keep sessions short, less than 30 minutes, to ensure he has the team’s full attention.

Jover benefits from several sessions during the week to discover his different methods. He was the one who convinced the Gunners boss to give Declan Rice the corner kicks at the Dubai winter camp.

From a practical standpoint, success involves intricate details via a variety of corner methods and antics this season.

In Sunday’s 3-2 win over Tottenham, Hojbjerg’s own goal was precipitated by Ben White’s actions in the box.

He targeted Guglielmo Vicario while trying to remove the goalkeeper’s gloves. Vicario pushed him away, but he was visibly irritated. His mind had been shaken before the ball even reached the surface.

And then, for Arsenal’s second goal, through Kai Havertz, White had cut back on Vicario on the goal line, leaving the goalkeeper stuck in the same spot.

Jover is a winner, like Arteta, so this is not the first time such clever tactics have been seen in the opposition area when the Gunners are about to take a free-kick. Win at all costs.

Ben White tried to take off Guglielmo Vicario’s gloves before Arsenal’s first goal

White relied on Vicario for Arsenal’s second goal of the afternoon

Take Arsenal’s second goal in the 5-0 defeat to Chelsea last Tuesday.

Saka was waiting to take the corner. In the box, William Saliba had Enzo Fernandez pinned in the center of the area while White was busy battling Marc Cucurella.

Once the ball came loose, White pushed Cucurella aside into space and Saliba’s block of Enzo forced the Chelsea man to keep the opposition on his side. White duly finished in the net.

As a result of the use of NFL-style blocking, a number of instances arise earlier in the campaign.

Declan Rice’s late goal against Manchester United in September began with four Arsenal players outnumbering the opposition’s two players at the far post. Once the ball reached Rice, Gabriel was already blocking Jonny Evans’ path to Rice’s shot.

And then against Crystal Palace in January, Arsenal’s repeated tactical congestion in certain areas allowed Gabriel to score two headed goals.

For most corners, it is Martin Odegaard who stands on the edge of the area. A possible chief orchestrator.

As seen in Arsenal’s 5-0 win over Crystal Palace in January, Odegaard appeared to be fiddling with his socks as to whether the corner would be at the near or far post.

When Mail Sport asked Arteta about the ploy in the days that followed, he smiled and said: “I’m not going to tell you that!”

This has been integrated so well into the players that it’s almost natural to create a sense of chaos in the box, which is one of Jover’s goals.

Under Arteta, Arsenal have taken to opposition grounds with their own banners and posters to give the away dressing room a more familiar atmosphere.

A banner hanging on the wall for Sunday’s game was quite telling. It said “BASE”. An acronym for Boxes, Attack, Shape, Intensity, Compete — and Set-pieces.

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta celebrates derby victory with Jover, center and Carlos Cuesta

This is an example of how seriously Mikel takes set pieces and the responsibility he has given to Jover.

A similarly serious approach to the profession has been adopted by many clubs across the league, but some still lack a specialist coach in this area. The Spurs are one.

Asked on Sunday about his team’s difficulties in mastering the art, Ange Postecoglou replied: “If I thought that fixing defensive set pieces was the solution to bridging the gap, then I would devote all my time and effort to it. ” But we’re not there.

The success and goals that Arsenal have enjoyed under Jover’s tutelage could force Ange and others to quickly change course.