Arsenal – Chelsea: A Story Of Set Pieces As Gunners Down Blues To Go Five Points Clear (2-1)

Arsenal beat Chelsea 2-1 at the Emirates to extend their lead at the top of the Premier League to five points. A game that was rather tepid from open play, saw Chelsea edging possession, but it was decided from set pieces as Arsenal scored two goals from corners, despite the Blues pegging one back from a corner of their own.

Tactical analysis and match report by Gaurav Krishnan.

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Liam Rosenior was left bewildered after the end result of this game. “It wasn’t our football,” suggested the new Chelsea manager in his post match interview, and it was that kind of game. Chelsea seemed to edge possession and the balance of the game from open play, however, as Arsenal have done so successfully this season, the Gunners scored the deciding goals via their dangerous corner kick routines.

For all the talk about Arsenal, and the narratives from pundits and online of being the “least worthy” potential Premier League winners, the Gunners found a way to turn this result in their favour, and it was their corner routines that did the trick again. Despite disgruntled opposition fans and widespread criticism, Arsenal are exceptionally good at their corner kicks, and it proved to be the prevailing story at the Emirates against Chelsea.

This was a game Arsenal simply had to win to keep their lead over second-placed City at five points. And they managed to dig this result out, despite a deadlocked game in open play against Chelsea. The Blues defense and Robert Sanchez switched off for just that bit of telling time and allowed Arsenal to score two goals via William Saliba and Jurien Timber from their deadly corners, sandwiched between an equaliser from Reece James’ corner that went in off Hincapie.

A red card to Chelsea’s Pedro Neto after accumulating two yellows didn’t help Chelsea’s cause as it proved to be yet another game where the Blues went down to ten men, as their disciplinary game has come under question. This was a game Chelsea and their fans will perhaps feel hard done by, as the Gunners couldn’t find the back of the net from open play.

In the end, it was set pieces that once again proved to be decisive as Mikel Arteta’s Gunners asserted their claim as Premier League leaders by narrowly shading this game and going five points clear of City with 11 games to play in what was a result that could have huge repercussions in the title race and Arsenal’s league title push.

Arsenal lined up in a 4-2-3-1 shape. David Raya started in goal with a back four of Jurien Timber at right-back, William Saliba and Gabriel at center-back and Piero Hincapie at left-back. Martin Zubimendi and Declan Rice anchored the midfield double pivot as Bukayo Saka started down the right, Leandro Trossard down the left, and Eberechi Eze in the no.10 slot as Viktor Gyokeres led the line as the central striker.

Chelsea lined up in a 4-3-3 formation. Robert Sanchez started in goal with a back four of Jorrel Hato at left-back, Mamadou Sarr and Trevoh Chalobah at center-back and Reece James at right-back. Andrey Santos, Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez were fielded as the midfield three, while Cole Palmer started down the left, Pedro Neto down the right as Joao Pedro led the line as the center-forward.

A Set Piece Here, A Set Piece There

Arsenal’s build-up play saw their 4-2-3-1 shift to a 3-2-5 in their IP shape and a 2-3-5 in higher phases.

The back four of Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, and Hincapie shifted into an asymmetric shape with Timber tucking inside to form a double pivot with Zubimendi at times when Rice pushed forward, as Arsenal aimed to match Chelsea’s numerical superiority in central areas. This was crucial against Chelsea’s man-oriented pressing, and central overloads as it created passing lanes for progression.


Arsenal build up in a 3-2-5 against Chelsea’s 4-3-3 OOP shape early on.

Hincapie on the left, was particularly adventurous, pushing high to overlap with Trossard and form rotations that pulled Chelsea’s right-back, Reece James, out of position. This left-sided bias in Arsenal’s build-up in the first half was evident in their heat maps, with significant touches occurring on that flank, leveraging Hincapie’s ball-carrying ability and targeting Reece James’ forward darting runs or inversions into midfield.

An example of Arsenal’s left-side attacks via Hincapie. Hincapie pushes high & into midfield as Trossard holds the width and plays Hincapie in behind the Chelsea back line. Hincapie delivers a ball into the box as Arsenal’s forward players attack it. However, Hato makes a clearance.

Meanwhile, Saliba and Gabriel provided the base, with Saliba’s composure under pressure enabling switches to the opposite flank on the right, where Bukayo Saka stretched the play and duelled 1v1 against Chelsea’s stand-in left-back Hato. The double pivot of Zubimendi and Rice were disciplined and dynamic as Zubimendi dropped between the center-backs to form a back three during early build-up, while Rice acted as a connector and chief midfield progressor.

For Chelsea, their 4-3-3 shape turned into a 3-2-5 in their IP shape which also became a 3-4-3 at times. Caicedo and Santos anchored the midfield double pivot, as Cole Palmer who started on the left was actually playing a free role as he drifted all over the pitch and in the pockets to create for the Blues. Chelsea also used Reece James as an inverted midfield outlet. James often inverted into midfield to form a 3-2-5 shape, as one of Santos or Caicedo (generally Santos) pushed higher or dropped into the back three while allowing Hato to push wide left for width.

Chelsea also used Enzo Fernandez to rotate dynamically. Enzo often took up a position in the left side of midfield as Palmer drifted centrally and to the right with Hato also advancing and stretching the pitch on the left.

Arsenal press in their 4-2-4 OOP shape as Chelsea build up in a 3-2-5. Santos drops into the back three while Enzo drifts near the left midfield space and Hato pushes high on the left pinning Timber. Meanwhile, Palmer moves into the space in between the lines just ahead of the Arsenal pivot as Reece James inverts into midfield.

However, Chelsea’s build-up faltered in the final third. The stats clearly revealed Chelsea’s tepid box attacking with just 13 touches in the Arsenal box all game compared to Arsenal’s 30.

The game was rather cagey with neither side creating clear-cut openings. However, the breakthroughs would come via set pieces, particularly corners. William Saliba opened the scoring for Arsenal after heading Gabriel’s far post header towards the Chelsea net, which then hit Sarr and went in for 1-0 to the Gunners.

But later in the first half, Reece James’ wicked corner delivery saw Hincapie unable to do anything other than head into his own net to make it level at 1-1 going into half-time.

Arsenal Cede Possession To Focus on Counter Press

In transition phases, Arsenal favoured quick verticality over patient ball circulation, averaging just 41% possession all game ceding possession to the Blues who made up the remaining 59% with the ball.

This was a deliberate concession to Chelsea, as Arteta prioritised counter-pressing and recoveries in their OOP shape over possession dominance. Chelsea generally had a central overload and progressed dynamically centrally and wide, however, Arteta countered that by Arsenal’s press being aggressive and man-to-man, including staying tight on Palmer in the free role.

Meanwhile, Trossard drifted inside from wide left to create an extra man while Hincapie moved up higher on the left either pressing a Chelsea player or trying to create wide overloads against Chelsea’s Reece James.

Furthermore, Eze in the no. 10 role, dropped deep to link play, often forming a midfield triangle with Rice and Zubimendi to evade Chelsea’s markers. However, Eze’s influence waned as the game progressed. Gyokeres, meanwhile served as the direct outlet, pinning Chelsea’s center-backs and winning aerial duels and managing to retain second balls. To his credit he did managed to fashion two half chances.

Arsenal’s pressing was high and man-to-man, transitioning from their 4-2-3-1 to a 4-2-4 or 4-4-2 OOP press.

Arsenal’s aggressive m2m press vs Chelsea. Gyokeres leads the press by pressing Sanchez who has the ball. Rice and Eze jump on the Chelsea double pivot of Santos and Caicedo as Saka presses Sarr. Gabriel tracks Palmer all the way from CB and Zubimendi presses Enzo. Trossard meanwhile is ready to jump on Reece James. Saka eventually tackles Sarr but doesn’t lead to an attack.

Meanwhile, Chelsea responded with a 4-3-3 OOP shape. Both presses were aggressive, but Arsenal’s press yielded better transitions and turnovers that in turn, led to chances, while Chelsea created ball possession but failed to prove decisive in the final third.

However, Rosenior tried to surprise Arsenal with fluid rotations involving Cheslea’s midfielders and full-backs and front players. Palmer drifted everywhere including into the midfield pivot as James also moved into the pivot alongside him inverting from RB, as Caicedo and Santos dropped or moved slightly higher, with Enzo occupying the left space and Hato overlapping far and high on the left pinning Timber.

Chelsea’s fluid rotations in their IP play. Santos drops into the back three. Palmer drops into the midfield pivot from his free role as Reece James also inverts from RB. Meanwhile, Enzo occupies the left side midfield space as Hato pushes high and wide stretching the pitch and pinning Timber.

Essentially, Chelsea’s IP tactics involved fluid rotations aiming to throw Arsenal off. However, the Blues only did well in the midfield thirds and were lacklustre in the the final third and in creating attacks and especially penetrating the Arsenal box.

The Holy Corner Kick Gives Arsenal The Three Points

Arsenal once again got ahead in the game via a corner routine. Yet another pinpoint delivery saw Jurien Timber head into the Chelsea goal to give the Gunners the lead. It was yet another case of Arsenal’s corner and set piece superiority and goal threat as they scored both telling goals in this game via corners.

Chelsea were handed a further handicap after Pedro Neto was sent off, getting his second yellow of the game as he lunged into Arsenal substitute Martinelli who was away on a breakaway down the Arsenal left. This left Chelsea having to contend with being down to ten men, a familiar story for the Blues this season, with 24 minutes to go.


Rosenior turned to his bench almost immediately after Neto’s red card as Chelsea shifted to a 4-4-1 in their OOP shape. Rosenior clearly pushed for high recoveries, nearly paying off with late chances as Blues substitute Garnacho was denied while Delap hit the back of the net in added time but Joao Pedro was in an offside position after Caicedo’s clipped ball found him acrobatically testing Raya.

That was the last bit of drama as Arteta’s Gunners did the business against their London rivals. 2-1 to the Arsenal.

Takeaways

Despite all the furore about Arsenal’s set piece nous, the fact remains that they’re bloody good at them. While their open play tactics were perhaps questionable as Arteta ceded possession to Rosenior’s Blues and relied mainly on a transitionary game, it almost paid off. But nevertheless, Arteta managed to see out Chelsea’s threat without being troubled too much defensively. It was a huge three points for Arsenal’s title push as they increased their lead to five points over City.

For Liam Rosenior, Chelsea had all of the ball with nearly 60% all game but their paltry threat in the Arsenal box will surely be a huge worry. To compound issues they conceded to set pieces yet again and faced a telling disadvantage again as Neto got sent off. Chelsea’s discipline has been terrible all season as they lead the Premier League with the most red cards, meanwhile, their poor attacking output against a stubborn Arsenal defense will also be something Rosenior will need to address. As things stand, the Blues could be edged out of the top five, especially given their tough fixture run-in towards the end of the season.

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