Arsenal yet to score from a set piece this season

Arsenal topped the Premier League with 25 set-piece goals, excluding penalties, on the way to the title last season. A record 19 of those goals came from corners. The team have now scored at least 15 set-piece goals in five consecutive Premier League seasons.

In week seven of the new season, however, the picture has changed. Arsenal are one of four teams, along with Liverpool, Manchester United and Nottingham Forest, who have not scored from a set piece other than a penalty. The rise in this area had coincided with set-piece coach Nicolas Jover joining the squad in 2021.

Mikel Arteta said they had done better in the first five matches than last year. Noting that the numbers will be good if they keep up this number of chances over the season, Arteta put the lack of goals down to luck to some extent and said they should have scored four goals this season.

Opta data supports this view. The expected goals value of the chances Arsenal have created from set pieces is 2.50. Only Liverpool and Nottingham Forest have fallen further below expectations in this area.

In the win away at Nottingham Forest, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Magalhaes sent good headers from Declan Rice's crosses over the bar. Riccardo Calafiori missed a clear chance from Martin Odegaard's free kick against Chelsea. In the Aston Villa match, Zion Suzuki saved Rice's header from Bukayo Saka's corner.