Thomas Frank believes set-pieces could decide this season’s Premier League title race — and he’s been paying close attention to the way Arsenal have turned them into a decisive weapon.
The Tottenham boss watched his side cruise to a 3-0 win over Everton on Sunday, with Micky van de Ven scoring twice and Pape Matar Sarr also on target.
Two of those goals came from set-pieces, underlining a trend that has defined the early weeks of the campaign.
Speaking to the BBC after the game, Frank pointed to Arsenal’s efficiency from dead-ball situations as a benchmark for the league.
“Set-pieces are so crucial. We all see it; there’s more and more focus on it. Right now, Arsenal are on track for the title from set-pieces. So it’s a key area,” he said.
“I said from the beginning we want to focus hard on it, and we scored two very good goals. The boys competed excellently in our box.”
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Mikel Arteta’s side have been relentless in this area, with their goal against Crystal Palace on Sunday taking them to 11 set-piece strikes in the Premier League so far, a tally that surpasses the total goals of eight top-flight teams this season.
Arteta himself recently revealed that his obsession with set-pieces stretches back a decade, with the Spaniard first exploring how to master them during his coaching apprenticeship under Pep Guardiola at Manchester City.
“Ten years ago I said it’s a massive thing to do that,” Arteta said last week.
“I started to have a vision and tried to implement a method, and to be surrounded by the best people to deliver that.
“It’s not about being only obsessed with that. It’s the eagerness to constantly find ways to develop your team, to evolve your team, and to give your players more tools to be more unpredictable and, especially, more efficient.”
Frank’s admiration for Arsenal’s routines is nothing new. While at Brentford last year, he labelled Arteta’s side “the best set-piece team in the world.”
His respect for the Gunners’ meticulous preparation has not waned, even now that he sits in the dugout at their fiercest rivals.
