LondonWorld journalist Chris Wheatley has lavished praise on Arsenal’s set-piece coach Nicolas Jover for playing a vital role in the Gunners’ win over Tottenham at the weekend.

Gabriel scored the crucial winner from a corner in the 1-0 win and, speaking on Shots!, Wheatley said it is no accident that the goal came from a set-piece:

“I think really you have to give credit to one man, that is Nicolas Jover, the set piece coach at Arsenal. He really has a lot of responsibility – has a really important role – which has kind of evolved since he joined a couple of seasons ago. I think he’s actually got more responsibility as his time has gone on at the club. He’s so key now.”

“A lot of the time, when Arsenal are taking a set piece, he’s next to Arteta. Sometimes Arteta goes back in his seat in the dugout and Jover is out there telling the players what to do and I think this is how – not just Arsenal but – football has evolved when you see a lot of set-piece coaches in the league.”

“Jover – you’ve got to give him a lot of credit. He has clearly made a huge impact. Mikel Arteta said after the game at the weekend that he [Jover] is the best in his field so that’s pretty good praise coming from your boss. It’s clear to see, you look at the set-pieces that Arsenal are taking, there is a clear plan behind each one.”

Arsenal’s record from set-pieces since the start of last season

The Gunners ended the 2023/24 campaign having scored the most goals from deadball situations – 20 in total, which was 1 more than Everton and 4 more than Manchester City.

It is a trend that has continued this season with Arteta’s men having already scored 2 in their first 4 league fixtures – the joint most alongside Manchester United, Aston Villa, Everton and Nottingham Forest.

Gabriel is a key man at corners

It is not the first time that the Brazilian defender has come up with a crucial goal from a set-piece. He scored 4 last campaign, including a brace against Crystal Palace during a 5-0 win. Prior to that, in 2022/23, the centre-back popped up with 3.

After starting the season strongly with his goal against Spurs, Gabriel will be hoping to get a few more between now and May.