Arsenal's Set-Piece Specialists Could Force a Defining Shift of Style in the Premier League
Arsenal 2-1 Chelsea: The Gunners scored both their goals against the Blues from corners as they saw off the threat of their London rivals at the Emirates Stadium on Monday, 2 March 2026. This victory, secured through set-piece prowess, may signal a broader tactical evolution in English football's top flight.
A Corner Turned in the Title Race?
While it remains uncertain until the season concludes, this 2-1 win over Chelsea feels like a defining moment in a wider Premier League shift. All three goals in the match originated from set pieces, none of them particularly clean, reflecting a gritty, hard-fought encounter. Chelsea now face their own challenge to dig in and turn a corner.
Mikel Arteta disputed that the victory was "ugly" but acknowledged that all teams currently have to "suffer." Arsenal have endured significant pressure lately, which explains why they are unconcerned with debates over the nature of this win. They simply had to persevere through this period.
Momentum and Confidence Amidst Debate
Although it might be a stretch to say this win rectifies previous draws against Brentford and Wolves, Arsenal have now secured successive victories in difficult London derbies where they might have been expected to drop points. This is crucial for building momentum and confidence, especially amid ongoing discussions about their playing style.
In previous Premier League seasons, particularly between 2016 and 2023, it would have been logical to assume Arsenal lacked the consistent firepower up front to compete with Manchester City in a title shootout. However, this season is different, and Manchester City is not the same dominant force. Pep Guardiola's side had a similar grinding performance in their 1-0 win away to Leeds United, which had increased pressure on Arsenal. Both teams had to endure tough matches to secure results.
Managing Moods and Matches
Arsenal faced familiar angst after Piero Hincapie's own goal gave Chelsea an equaliser just before half-time. Managing such emotional swings, as much as the games themselves, is something Arteta has become increasingly focused on. He reminded his players they were in "exactly the same position" as against Tottenham Hotspur seven days prior, urging them to replicate their success.
They won again but not in the same manner. Arteta noted, "We were expecting a very different outcome in the last few minutes, but we didn't manage to control and dominate that scenario as well as we wanted. Obviously, we weren't getting the dominance and the sequences of play that we wanted and expected against the 10 men."
Discipline and Approach Under Scrutiny
Pedro Neto was sent off for a second booking on 70 minutes, three minutes after a first yellow for dissent, raising questions about Chelsea's discipline. This also prompted scrutiny of Arsenal's approach, as they managed only 55 passes to Chelsea's 114 from that moment, despite their numerical superiority.
This was surprising given that Kai Havertz had come on for Viktor Gyokeres, briefly inspiring Arsenal's most expansive spell of the match. However, it was short-lived, and the wider narrative of the game—and the season—remained set-pieces.
The Set-Piece Speciality
Arsenal regained the lead over Liverpool in terms of goals from set-pieces. Liam Rosenior complained about grappling and jostling on Arsenal's goals, with William Saliba forcing in the first and Jurrien Timber doing similar for the second. This has become an Arteta speciality, though he argues it's a necessary response to in-play changes in the Premier League.
Rosenior believes officials should consider potential rule changes, stating, "There's a lot of holding and grappling that goes on before the ball's actually delivered" and "holding is holding." However, he stressed he wasn't attributing Chelsea's defeat solely to that, acknowledging, "I think we can deal better with it, being honest. We have to deal with that moment better. In fact, we gift those two set plays, we gift the free kick away before that, and we gift them a corner."
Chelsea's Inconsistencies and Future Challenges
Set-pieces have become a problem for Chelsea under Rosenior, with seven conceded—he even admitted, "I think it's me." The team has also shown wider swings in play within individual matches, alternating between controlled competence and erratic moments. On Sunday, they occasionally gifted opportunities to Arsenal attackers, though Arsenal players like Martin Zubimendi and Declan Rice did similar at times.
Arteta expressed gratitude to David Raya for a crucial late save, saying, "It's a cross, it's not a shot, but he ended up being an unbelievable shot and I got the right angle and my heart almost stopped, but David's hand was there to bring it back to life." Had that gone in, Chelsea's perspective might be vastly different, highlighting the fine margins they currently operate within.
Looking Ahead
Some of Chelsea's struggles might stem from adjusting to a new manager adapting to the Premier League, the demanding calendar, or long-term effects of the Club World Cup. They now appear in an outright fight with Aston Villa for fourth or fifth place, with Liverpool's evolution also a factor.
Rosenior emphasised, "We need to start finding a way of playing well, which we have done in large parts of my time with the group. But we also need to pick up points very, very quickly." Next up is Villa away, a match that could be decisive in the race for the top five. As for this encounter, it stands as another set-piece moment in the broader picture of the title race, potentially heralding a tactical shift in the Premier League.
