Arsenal: 5 tactical improvements needed vs Man City

LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 21: Pep Guardiola, Manager of Manchester City bumps fists with Mikel Arteta, Manager of Arsenal after the Premier League match between Arsenal and Manchester City at Emirates Stadium on February 21, 2021 in London, England. Sporting stadiums around the UK remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images) /

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LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 22: Rob Holding of Arsenal heads wide during the Premier League match between Arsenal and Chelsea at Emirates Stadium on August 22, 2021 in London, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images) /

3. Taking Advantage of Set Pieces

Only two teams conceded one more goal (6) from set pieces than Arsenal (5) last season. No points for guessing which one of those teams was.

Indeed, taking advantage of set pieces when as a team you only scored four not counting direct free-kicks last season, against the champions of England who conceded just five themselves, may be a steep ask.

What might change? Well, having bid farewell to Andreas Georgson, whose work last term made the Gunners significantly stronger from dead balls in their own box than in the opposition area, and replacing him with Nicolas Jover might help.

That’s because the new set piece coach was brought in from Manchester City this summer.

City will be aware of this, and whatever routines Jover implemented during his two seasons there will likely make way for new methods Carlos Vicens will seek to employ. They won’t be an open invitation.

But Jover does know the City squad inside out. He knows who has certain weaknesses and where they’re strongest from corners and free-kicks in both boxes, so as far as an ‘advantage’ goes, it’s at least a helping hand.

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