Arsenal, under manager Mikel Arteta, is poised to unleash a potent weapon against Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in their upcoming Champions League showdown: a master of set-pieces named Nicolas Jover. While Jover never graces the pitch, his impact on the game is undeniable, particularly in the crucial moments of set-pieces.
Having worked with Arteta during their time at Manchester City under Pep Guardiola, Jover joined Arsenal in 2021. Since his arrival, Arsenal has transformed into a set-piece powerhouse, scoring an impressive 44 goals from set-pieces (excluding penalties), including 25 in the Premier League since last season. This makes them the most prolific team in the English top flight in that period, with a significant chunk of those goals coming from corners. Notably, Gabriel Magalhaes’ crucial header from a corner in the 2-2 draw against Manchester City is a testament to Jover’s impact.
Arteta’s admiration for Jover is evident. He famously embraced Jover on the touchline after another Gabriel header from a corner sealed a vital 1-0 win over Tottenham earlier this season. “In his field, in other fields, as a person, the relationship that we have, that’s why I made a decision to bring him to City when I was there and then to Arsenal,” Arteta explained. “He and the staff, have injected belief to the players that there are many ways to win football matches. “It’s a really powerful one and it’s given us a lot. So a big compliment to all of them, for sure.”
Jover’s genius lies in crafting deceptive routines for both attacking and defending set-pieces. His most successful strategy involves creating a ring of Arsenal players around the opposing goalkeeper, creating pressure while Gabriel strategically times his run to meet the corner at the far post.
“Credit to Nico. I think he does an amazing job. We train a lot on it. You see it every week how important it is. Sometimes set-pieces decide a game. We are glad to have Nico,” Arsenal forward Kai Havertz acknowledged.
While Arsenal has mastered the art of set-pieces, PSG seems to be lagging behind in this crucial aspect of the game. Despite their strong attack, PSG has a surprising vulnerability in defending set-pieces. Their manager, Luis Enrique, has not appointed a specialist coach to work on set-pieces, which is a stark contrast to Arsenal’s meticulous approach. This oversight has left PSG open to conceding goals from corners and free-kicks, a weakness that Jover is likely to exploit.
The trend of employing set-piece specialists is gaining traction in football. Manchester City, under Guardiola, promoted Carlos Vicens from Under-18 coach to set-piece specialist in 2023. City’s impressive set-piece record – scoring 21 goals and conceding only one from set-pieces in their march to a fourth consecutive Premier League title – speaks volumes about the importance of set-piece expertise.
“Today in modern football, set-pieces are really important,” Guardiola emphasized. “We are preparing things in the corners like every team does. Someone had to come up with the ideas, and we are going to do this so all credit to Carlos.”
Other clubs are following suit. Brentford, where Jover honed his craft for three years, was one of the early adopters of the set-piece revolution. Chelsea paid a hefty £750,000 ($1 million) to sign their dead-ball coach Bernardo Cueva in May. Andreas Georgson joined Manchester United with set-piece schemes as his primary focus, and Austin MacPhee’s routines helped Aston Villa reach the Champions League for the first time in 41 years. Even Liverpool, after the departure of Peter Krawietz, advertised for a “tactical specialist” with expertise in both offensive and defensive set-piece strategies.
With Arsenal leading the charge in capitalizing on the marginal gains that can decide a title race or a European championship, the importance of set-piece expertise is becoming increasingly evident in the world of football. As Arsenal prepares to face PSG, Jover’s mastery of set-pieces could be the secret weapon that unlocks victory for the Gunners.
