Forget Creativity, Arsenal Are Crying Out for Something Else

We may have forgotten about it with Gabriel’s goal against Fulham.

Any closer? It was assisted by Willian in that 3-0 win. Nothing to do with the header (shoulder) or the build up to it. Nope. It came off the back of a delivery into the box. A delivery that wasn’t utterly woeful. Indeed, Arsenal don’t have anyone who can provide from dead balls.

Even Willian’s corner for that goal wasn’t exactly a majestic swing of the leg. It was in the six-yard box and pounced on by Gabriel with a helping hand from some abject defending.

The first goal Arsenal scored on Thursday evening did, yes, come from a dead ball delivery from Nicolas Pepe. It was his only successful cross of the match.

Crossing isn’t even the primary issue here, though. Corners rarely ever beat the first man, likewise with indirect free-kicks. One of those baffling elements of professional football is that for all the wizardry and ability the 0.000000000000000001% possess, the amount of weak efforts when the ball is stood still never ceases to amaze.

Stocked full of players who can whip a ball into the top corner or deliver a reverse no-look pass, how Arsenal are yet to find anyone who can take advantage of the ball being sat still must be causing Mikel Arteta all kinds of bemusement.

In Vienna, Alexandre Lacazette won plenty of fouls in football’s version of a rugby 22, none of which (barring the goal which was aided by Richard Strebinger’s aimless wandering) was frustrating delivery after the other.

Roy Hodgson infamously made Harry Kane take corners in England’s ill-fated Euro 2016 campaign, a decision that was rightly lambasted, but the culmination of a similar conundrum.

Even more reason to be disgruntled is that we brought in a set piece coach, Andreas Georgeson, in the summer to help us capitalise on dead ball situations. The prime reason for his signing was to aid in the defensive aspect, but both boxes were his prerogative and he’ll be tearing his hair out to see free-kicks and corners wasted.

Funnily enough, Arsenal scored 12 Premier League goals from set pieces last season, eighth in the overall standings and just five behind joint leaders Manchester City and Liverpool (WhoScored).

It’s another one of these less discussed details that if fine-tuned will add more goals into the side. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang for corners, anyone? Nah, didn’t think so.