Breaking News: Chelsea Attempts New Tactic Against Arsenal’s Set-Pieces
In a recent Carabao Cup semi-final, Chelsea faced Arsenal and tried a new strategy to counter Arsenal’s strong set-piece attacks. Arsenal has been leading in set-piece goals in Europe over the past seasons, making it difficult for opponents to defend against them.
During the match, Chelsea sent three players from defense to attack just before Arsenal’s corners. This forced Arsenal to react quickly, potentially disrupting their setup. Despite this effort, Chelsea lost the match 1-0, resulting in a 4-2 aggregate defeat.
Former Manchester City goalkeeper Shay Given had suggested this approach on Match of the Day, recommending that teams leave players upfield during Arsenal’s set-pieces. Other teams, like Monaco and Crystal Palace, have tried similar tactics but not as late in the game.
Since last season, Arsenal has scored 53 goals from set-pieces, 13 more than any other Premier League team. Chelsea’s tactic did prevent Arsenal from scoring from a set-piece in this match, but it remains to be seen if other teams will adopt this strategy in the future.
