Arsenal's Set-Piece Specialists Could Force a Defining Shift of Style in the Premier League
Arsenal 2-1 Chelsea: The Gunners scored both their goals against the Blues from corners as they saw off the threat of their London rivals at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday 01 March 2026.
Arsenal's incredible set-piece ability earned them three vital points against Chelsea in a match that may be remembered as a turning point in the Premier League title race. While no one can say for certain until the season concludes, this victory feels like a defining game in a wider tactical shift. All three goals in the contest came through set-pieces, and none were especially clean, reflecting the gritty nature of the encounter.
Arteta Emphasizes Suffering and Resilience
Mikel Arteta disputed that the victory was "ugly" but acknowledged that all teams currently have to "suffer." Arsenal have endured a lot of that lately, which is why they won't particularly care about debates on the nature of this win. They had to get through it and through this challenging period.
While it's still a stretch to say this rectifies the two draws from Brentford and Wolves, Arsenal have now picked up successive victories in difficult London derbies where they might have been expected to drop points. That is crucial for momentum and confidence, especially amid ongoing debates over their style of play.
A Different Season and a Different Manchester City
In previous Premier League seasons, especially between 2016 and 2023, it would have been logical to feel Arsenal ultimately lack the repeating firepower up front and would eventually lose a shoot-out to Manchester City. However, this isn't the same type of season, and this isn't the same Manchester City.
Pep Guardiola's side had a similar performance in their 1-0 win away to Leeds United, which had again increased the pressure on Arsenal. City had to grind through it, much like Arteta's team did here. Arsenal faced familiar angst after Piero Hincapie put into his own net to give Chelsea an equalizer just before half-time, but managing such moods is something Arteta has become increasingly conscious of.
Discipline Issues and Tactical Questions
Arteta reminded his players they were in "exactly the same position" as against Tottenham Hotspur seven days prior and urged them to repeat their success. They won again but not quite in the same way. Arteta noted they were expecting a very different outcome in the last few minutes but didn't manage to control and dominate the scenario as desired.
Pedro Neto was sent off for a second booking on 70 minutes, three minutes after a first yellow for dissent, raising further questions about Chelsea's discipline. It also raised questions about Arsenal's approach, as they had only 55 passes to Chelsea's 114 from that moment despite the numerical superiority.
This was surprising given that Kai Havertz had come on for Viktor Gyokeres, briefly inspiring Arsenal's most expansive spell of the match. However, it was only brief, and the wider story of this game was set-pieces.
Set-Piece Dominance and Controversy
Arsenal got back ahead of Liverpool in terms of goals from set-pieces. Chelsea manager Liam Rosenior complained about grappling and jostling on the Arsenal goals, with William Saliba forcing in the first and Jurrien Timber doing similar for the second. This has been an Arteta specialty, although he would argue it's a necessary response to in-play changes in the Premier League.
Rosenior believes officials must look at potential rule changes, noting that "there's a lot of holding and grappling that goes on before the ball's actually delivered" and "holding is holding." However, he stressed he wasn't putting Chelsea's defeat down to that, admitting they need to deal better with such moments.
Set-pieces have become a problem under Rosenior, with seven conceded, and he even admitted "I think it's me." There have also been wider swings in Chelsea's play within individual matches, going from controlled and competent to erratic moments.
Crucial Saves and Future Implications
Arteta made a point of expressing gratitude to David Raya, who made one crucial late save. How different Chelsea might feel had that gone in shows the edge they're constantly on at the moment. Some of that might be adjusting to a new manager adapting to the Premier League, the calendar, or long-term effects of the Club World Cup.
Chelsea now look in an outright fight with Aston Villa for fourth or fifth, with everyone waiting to see how Liverpool evolve. Rosenior emphasized the need to start finding a way of playing well and picking up points quickly. Next up is Villa away, which could be decisive in the race for the top five.
As for this match, it is just one other set-piece in the picture of the title race, but it underscores Arsenal's tactical evolution and resilience in a season of shifting dynamics.
