Arsenal’s Set-Piece Signals Exposed: Martin Odegaard Holds the Key
Arsenal has emerged as the most effective team in the Premier League when it comes to offensive corners and free-kicks. Their set-piece coach, Nicolas Jover, has devised schemes that have resulted in 12 goals this season, more than any other team in the division. In fact, set-pieces account for over 28% of Arsenal’s total goals this season. During their recent match against Crystal Palace, Arsenal scored two well-worked corner goals, both powered home by centre-back Gabriel Magalhaes.
While Jover provides instructions from the touchline, he has revealed that the signals for which routine to use actually come from the players themselves. It seems that Martin Odegaard may hold the key to Arsenal’s set-piece success. Match of the Day presenter Alex Scott and the pundits have been playing detective, and they believe that Odegaard’s behavior on the edge of the box, such as rolling up his socks or kicking the turf, is acting as a signal to his teammates.
Ashley Williams explained, “There’s always a trigger for what the movement’s going to be. We can see they have worked on whether it’s a front-post corner or a back-post corner. If you keep an eye on Odegaard, we feel that maybe he’s signaling something to the corner taker. He’s in the same place for every corner and he’s playing with his socks. When we’re looking for a trigger, it’s because it’s worked on.”
While some may view this theory as reaching, it is quite a coincidence that Odegaard consistently exhibits these behaviors during set-pieces. Nicolas Jover has hinted at the existence of signals for which corner routine to use, and Odegaard’s actions seem to align with this idea.
However, not everyone is convinced. Alan Shearer jokingly suggested that Odegaard’s socks may simply be too big for him. Regardless, Arsenal’s set-piece success is undeniable, and their opponents will now be on high alert for any potential signals from Odegaard.
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