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
… (content truncated for brevity)
