Arsenal vs. West Ham: Life and Death from Corner Kicks

LONDON, FRIDAY - The London derby clash between Arsenal and West Ham United is highly likely to be decided by a corner kick. While the home team Arsenal is dubbed the "king" of corner kicks, West Ham visits with the status of the team most vulnerable to conceding from set-piece situations.

The superiority of Arsenal and the weaknesses of West Ham will clash at the Emirates Stadium, London, on Saturday (4/10/2025) at 21:00 WIB. The visiting team may arrive with a new coach known for his defensive specialization, Nuno Espirito Santo, but their longstanding issues were still exposed in last week's match.

In Nuno's leadership debut, against Everton, West Ham conceded a goal first through a corner kick scheme. That goal marked the eighth goal conceded by "The Hammers" from corner kicks in the Premier League this season. No team has conceded more in that sector than Jarrod Bowen and his teammates.

Arsenal, on the other hand, has just snatched a victory at home against Newcastle United thanks to a pair of goals from corner kicks. "The Gunners" have scored 36 goals from such situations since the 2023-24 season, the highest in the league. It is only natural that they are dubbed the kings of corner kicks.

"That is a problem that needs to be resolved. We have developed in the last match, and that is what we really want to improve. Set pieces have a significant impact on the game. The match on Saturday will also be a big test for us," said Nuno, who managed to hold Arsenal to a 0-0 draw in their last encounter at Forest.

As Nuno stated, set-piece execution is very important. In the English Premier League alone, 28.4 percent of the total goals this season have been scored from set pieces. This percentage is the highest in the last decade. It is understandable that Arsenal has been very focused on developing set pieces in recent years.

It is not only about set-piece strategies but also about mentality. Other teams, if they cannot score after six or seven corner kicks, begin to lose their confidence.

The execution and creativity of Arsenal continue to evolve. Against Newcastle, in the first half, they relied on inward passes to target the far post area. After several failed attempts, Arsenal tried a combination of short passes followed by crosses. This effort resulted in an equalizing goal from a header by midfielder Mikel Merino.

In injury time, Arsenal's corner kick, orchestrated by dead-ball specialist Nicolas Jover, changed its execution method again. They again relied on a direct pass inward. The difference was that the target was the near post. This execution resulted in the winning goal from defender Gabriel Magalhaes.

Arteta stated that many factors influence dominance in corner kicks. "It's not just about set-piece strategy, but also about mentality. Other teams, if they cannot score after six or seven corner kicks, they start to lose confidence. I am very pleased because we keep trying," he said.

West Ham should be wary of the threat posed by Gabriel. The Brazilian national team defender has scored 18 goals in the league, at least 6 goals more than all other defenders since his debut in September 2020. The majority of goals from the tall and robust player have come from set pieces, particularly corner kicks.

Gabriel was substituted in the second half of the Champions League match against Olympiakos last Thursday. According to Arteta, the defender felt uncomfortable after a duel with an opposing player. However, it is considered to be only a minor injury. Gabriel is likely to be available for the derby match.

Meanwhile, Arsenal is not only proficient in corner kick situations. They are also experts in drawing corner kicks. "The Gunners" average 7.5 corner kicks this season, the highest in the league. Interestingly, they are able to score one goal from an average of just 6.4 corner kicks.

Arsenal striker, Viktor Gyokeres, has appeared to integrate more with the team's play in recent matches, particularly against Newcastle and Olympiakos. However, he has not scored in the last five matches across all competitions. In fact, Gyokeres had previously scored three goals in the last four league matches.

The upcoming derby match is an ideal opportunity for Gyokeres to resume his goal-scoring. This is considering that West Ham's playing system is still far from perfect, having been coached by Nuno for just over a week. Furthermore, the visiting team currently holds the record for the most goals conceded in the league, with 14 goals allowed in 6 matches.

"We believe in him (Gyokeres). We trust his quality. He is one of the best strikers in the world right now. He is always happy to be behind the opponent and attack the opponent's penalty area. We will give him the ball as much as possible so that he can score goals," said Arsenal winger Gabriel Martinelli. (AP/REUTERS)