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LONDON: Mikel Arteta said Friday that Arsenal’s set-piece prowess has been a decade in the making.
The Gunners have scored 10 goals via set pieces in the Premier League this season — the earliest into a campaign any side has reached double figures for such goals in the history of the competition.
Arteta finished his playing career at the Emirates in 2016 before he joined Pep Guardiola’s coaching team at Manchester City.
And when the Spaniard, who is now approaching six years in charge at Arsenal, was asked at what point he thought it would be smart to hone in on the importance of set-pieces, he replied: “Ten years ago.
“I started to have a vision and try to implement a method and try to be surrounded by the best people to deliver that.
“I went to City with the best manager in the world and I could see where we could have improvements, and it was clear because at some point I was doing that and I wasn’t the best person in the world to do it.
“So if I’m not the best person in the world to do it and the best method to do it, there are ways to improve it.”
Ahead of Crystal Palace’s visit to Emirates Stadium this weekend, Arteta admitted he knew set pieces — including free-kicks and corners — would be essential to any success during his Arsenal reign.
Crucially, Arteta was doing his coaching badges when he met Nicolas Jover, who would later become set-piece coach at Brentford before joining Arsenal in 2021.
Jover has been instrumental in Arsenal’s remarkable ability at set-pieces.
“You could see straight afterwards when it started to happen,” he said.
“We have created the culture, giving that part of the game (set-pieces) the importance that it has. Football is evolving and so too is how opponents are behaving against us, and we have to maximize certain things that happen very frequently.”
Arsenal have conceded just three times in the league this season and have kept three successive clean sheets in the Champions League, meaning their defensive record after 12 matches is the best in the club’s 138-year history.
Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea side of 20 years ago let in just 15 goals on their way to winning the league, which is a Premier League record.
“We want these kind of records. At the end, we want it to bring the silverware and the trophies,” said Arteta, whose club are aiming to win the title for the first time since 2004.
“But obviously, the more we can produce, the closer we are going to be to achieving what we want to do, and that defensive record is very good but we need to be consistent and it is only the start of the season. We can get better.”

LONDON: Chelsea striker Liam Delap is back in training after recovering from a hamstring injury but will not be available for their Premier League home game against promoted Sunderland this weekend, manager Enzo Maresca said on Friday.
The 22-year-old, who moved to Stamford Bridge from Ipswich Town for 30 million pounds ($40.26 million) in June, picked up the injury during the 2-0 home win over Fulham in August.
Initially expected to miss six to eight weeks, Maresca later suggested the Englishman could be out until December.
“We don’t have any new injuries,” Maresca told reporters ahead of Saturday’s game. “Liam took part of the session yesterday with the team for the first time. He is not going to be available for tomorrow but probably for the next one.”
Chelsea visit struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers in the League Cup fourth round on Wednesday.
“The schedule can also change a little bit. It depends how they improve or get worse from the first time they send me that but he can be available for that (Wolves),” Maresca added.
Maresca said Marc Guiu, who was recalled from a season-long loan at Sunderland after Delap’s injury, is ready to start a league game for Chelsea.
The 19-year-old Spanish striker initially struggled to impress Maresca in training but has since turned a corner.
Guiu joined Chelsea from Barcelona last year.
“We had a chat with Marc a few weeks ago. I told him about the way he was training. I didn’t like it. He needed to change. He changed and he got a chance,” Maresca said.
Asked what he did not like, the Italian replied: “He was not training well. In all the way ... That’s why young players are sometimes in one way or the other way. You need to go slowly, slowly with them.
“But since we chatted, it stopped. It’s fantastic. He is working very well.”
Seeking a fifth successive win in all competitions after Wednesday’s 5-1 thrashing of Ajax Amsterdam in the Champions League, Chelsea are braced for a tricky challenge against Sunderland.
Frenchman Regis Le Bris’ side have collected 14 points from their opening eight matches to sit in seventh place, one point behind champions Liverpool and level with fifth-placed Chelsea.
“They showed since the season started that they are a very good team. They play together, they work together. They have the same points as us so they are showing how good they are doing,” Maresca said.
“I spent one season with Leicester (City) in the Championship and I love the Championship. I watched Sunderland since last season when the manager arrived. They play good football, they are physically strong, so I like the way they are doing things.”