Premier League hits and misses: Arsenal's psychological edge at set-pieces key again in Man Utd win

Arsenal’s corners have become a form of psychological warfare

Even in the first half of Arsenal’s 2-0 win over Manchester United, before Jurrien Timber’s breakthrough goal, the home supporters inside the Emirates Stadium could be heard celebrating corners as though they were goals. Arsenal’s opponents know what is coming. But stopping it is another matter.

Arsenal’s total of 22 goals from corners since the start of last season is the most by any Premier League side. Manchester United had not conceded from two in one game in a decade and yet they were fortunate, as the deliveries rained in, that the total was not higher.

Timber’s goal came during a series of near-post deliveries that caused utter chaos in the Manchester United box, as Arsenal repeated the method that did for West Ham on Saturday, with players congregating at the far post and charging across goal.

Then, when Ruben Amorim’s side were expecting Bukayo Saka to follow Declan Rice’s example and direct his delivery to the same spot, he instead outfoxed Manchester United by looping one to the far post, where Thomas Partey was waiting to head across goal for William Saliba.

It is a testament to the quality of the routines devised by their specialist coach Nicolas Jover, and the deliveries sent in by Saka and Rice, that Arsenal were able to inflict this much damage without their most dangerous set-piece weapon in Gabriel Magalhaes.

Amorim even claimed their wingers, Saka and Gabriel Martinelli, are happy to force corners, knowing what the side are capable of. Their corners have become a form of psychological warfare, the tension enhanced by carefully orchestrated delays over taking them. Manchester United were just their latest victim. There will be more.
Nick Wright

The storm arrives for Amorim at Man Utd

Amorim saw this coming. Ahead of the 2-0 defeat at Arsenal, he had warned a storm was coming. “We are going to have difficult moments and we will be found out in some games,” he said as a caution to any fans getting carried away by a 4-0 win over Everton.

The storm arrived in the second half at the Emirates Stadium, as corners rained down on the Man Utd six-yard box and Arsenal found the net twice to hand Amorim a first defeat of his reign and first defeat in league football in a year.

United did well to contain Arsenal in the first half. Noussair Mazraoui and Tyrell Malacia combined to limit Martin Odegaard and Saka and there was evidence of Amorim’s training-ground work.

But when United needed to go up a gear in the second half they could not find it. Marcus Rashford and Joshua Zirkzee were as ineffective as Rasmus Hojlund and Mason Mount. Amad Diallo provided some spark but a Matthijs de Ligt header was as threatening as the visitors got.

Amorim spoke afterwards about a “time limit” on the game time some of his players have, given their fitness and injury issues. Nottingham Forest and then Manchester City are next up and more short-term adjustments are certain – Amorim made six changes here. But the fix required to take United to Arsenal’s level is clearly going to take a long time.
Peter Smith

De Bruyne masterclass pulls Man City out of winless rut

Kevin De Bruyne’s long-awaited return to the Manchester City starting XI did not disappoint. Pep Guardiola lauded the midfielder’s “presence” when speaking to Amazon Prime after the Belgian masterminded his side’s first win in eight games.

It was more than the goal and assist in the first half that buoyed City to their 3-0 victory over Nottingham Forest, De Bruyne looked to be involved in everything the Premier League champions produced positively in possession. The 33-year-old said it himself when asked why his team-mates were looking to him for inspiration during the game.

“It’s been a difficult spell,” he said.

“Maybe they [his team-mates] look towards the older guys to bring a bit of calmness to the game. I was able to do that.”

The composure he added to his side’s display was evident as it even raised the performance of Jack Grealish, who playing in a slightly different central role where he was able to feed off De Bruyne’s creativity to make things happen himself.

His influence speaks for itself. City are now unbeaten in each of their last 31 Premier League games with De Bruyne in the starting line-up (W26 D5), with the Belgian directly involved in 25 goals across those matches (nine goals, 16 assists).

City’s chief creator walked off the pitch to an embrace from his manager who will be hoping his key man will continue to relieve the issues caused by a dark November.
William Bitibiri

Mo Salah – Nobody does it better when it matters

He makes it look so easy. That is the beauty of Mohamed Salah. When the ball drops his way in the final third, his composure in being able to make the correct final decision in front of goal stands him out from the crowd. There is an argument growing that he just might be the greatest forward player this league has ever seen. His supporters will point to Liverpool’s 3-3 draw at Newcastle as a prime example.

Liverpool got something out of this game because of Salah’s greatness. Two goals and an assist just when his team needed him as Liverpool were flat and looked short on ideas in a one-sided first half that Newcastle dominated. Salah has both scored and assisted in 37 different Premier League matches now, overtaking Wayne Rooney (36) as the player to have done so on the most occasions in the competition. Sign him up.
Lewis Jones

Are Chelsea title contenders?

“We’ve got our Chelsea back” sang the away end during the 5-1 thrashing of Southampton as they also serenaded head coach Enzo Maresca, who in turn acknowledged their support by applauding back.

The mood around Chelsea is different these days and some may well believe they are fully in the title race.

This impressive performance, albeit against a 10-player bottom side, will only louden those whispers as Chelsea took advantage of Liverpool’s slip-up at Newcastle.

Chelsea certainly have the depth to go the distance. Maresca has an embarrassment of riches at his disposal, shown by his much-changed side as they strolled to a dominant victory that saw them have 26 shots at goal.

The Blues look incredibly confident right now and are a very entertaining watch – their current goals-per-game ratio of 2.6 is their best in a single season in their entire history.

Tougher tests await them, however, with Sunday’s trip to London rivals Tottenham, live on Sky Sports, providing a much better yardstick of where they are at.

But if they pass that test then Maresca’s side have a very favourable fixture run as they face just one top-half team – Brentford at home – until they go to Manchester City on January 25, live on Sky Sports.

Chelsea could well be serious title contenders come that trip to the Etihad.
Declan Olley

Wolves fans turn on O’Neil

Gary O’Neil was under pressure going into Wolves’ game against Everton but that will intensify after such a hapless performance. Any 4-0 defeat is bad. This was worse. The raggedness of the display, the failure to pay attention to the details, does not reflect well on him.

Wolves parted company with set-piece coach Jack Wilson in October, a decision that will come under more scrutiny following a game in which O’Neil’s team conceded all four goals from set-piece situations and were fortunate to get away with a fifth.

The first goal was curled around the wall and into the net, astonishingly easy. “Basic stuff. Can’t even get the wall in the right place,” said O’Neil afterwards. They were bullied from every dead-ball situation thereafter. That should not have been a surprise.

There is talent in the team but there is little chance of that saving Wolves if they defend this poorly, following up conceding four at home to Bournemouth by shipping another four here. This is the worst defence in the Premier League and that leaves O’Neil vulnerable.

The Wolves supporters inside the stadium ran through a series of chants for O’Neil’s departure, questioning substitutions, the quality of his football and his future at the club. They finished by turning on owners Fosun, which is rarely good for the coach.

O’Neil was defiant afterwards but also a little desperate, listing the different personnel and formations that he had tried in his search for a solution. But it was the line about Everton’s approach that was most striking. “Everton didn’t do anything complicated as you all saw. It was real direct stuff, real low risk.”

Sean Dyche responded by saying that his job was to get the best from the group. If O’Neil cannot make Wolves more robust than this, cutting out at least some of the errors, the risk for him is that his employers turn to somebody else to get the best from his.
Adam Bate

Weight lifted for Emery and Villa

A weight has been lifted for Aston Villa boss Unai Emery and his squad after the 3-1 home win over Brentford and they can now head into another home game against bottom-of-the-league Southampton with some well-needed confidence.

Emery has never gone nine games without a win across his managerial career – and it was clear from the opening minute that his players were not going to let it happen.

Villa looked back to their very best at times as Morgan Rogers, Ollie Watkins and Leon Bailey all flooded forward into space regularly on the counter.

All three goals arrived in quick, sweeping moves up the pitch and, after moving up into seventh with the win, the run of eight games without tasting victory already seems like a distant memory.

“We break the spell of bad results we were having. Of course, to feel like home is our fortress and the supporters respond well, this is how you have to try and create,” Emery said after the game.

“I think we did fantastic. They were letting us have transitions and letting us create chances. Today, the match we played will give us confidence again.

“It is not enough but we have to try keep going. The most important thing is to try and focus.”
Patrick Rowe

Brentford away form now a worry

“You can’t argue that we are better home than anyway,” said Thomas Frank after another defeat on the road.

Brentford sit in a promising position in ninth but their form away from the Gtech Community Stadium is holding this team back.

Just one of their 20 points has arrived away from west London, but it was also the manner of this latest defeat that will worry the Brentford boss.

“Two of the seven games away from home have been bad performances. Today and Fulham,” Frank continued.

“I am confident come the end of the season; we will have wins away from home. They [Villa] hit a high level and showed why they play Champions League football.”

Three of their five games between now and the end of 2024 are away. The Bees will need to address this mental block on their travels or this season will quickly spiral into obscurity.
Patrick Rowe

Conflicting emotions at the King Power

Leicester’s 3-1 victory over West Ham was a case of two teams at opposite ends of the spectrum regarding optimism.

For Leicester, it was the perfect introduction to Ruud van Nistelrooy, as his side took their chances in a manner the boss would have been proud of in his playing days, and backed this showing up with a defensive performance to go alongside it.

However, the situation for West Ham is growing bleaker by the day. The win against Newcastle has merely papered over the cracks for this team, who look absent of ideas and identity when games begin to turn against them.

While one team can look ahead with hope and excitement for their next outing, Julen Lopetegui and his players will likely be dreading the banana-skin game against his former side Wolves, live on Sky Sports, next Monday.

The issues defensively against Arsenal and now struggling at the opposite end against Leicester. Add in their ever-changing midfield and the widespread problems within this team become clear to see.
Patrick Rowe

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