Arsenal do not rely on set pieces: We are just really good at them

Nick Manfredi reflects on Arsenal's 2-1 win over Chelsea ahead of a big month 

Arsenal took another small step towards that elusive Premier League title with a nail biting 2-1 victory over Chelsea yesterday. 

But what did we learn from another tense affair?

This Arsenal side are made of sterner stuff than a lot of people, including many of our own fans give us credit for.

Two massive wins against our two fiercest rivals in the space of a week at this stage of the season with so much at stake is not to be sniffed at.

You can point to the disastrous draw at Molineux but it’s all about the reaction. We absolutely needed one and we got it.

We remain in a strong position and the trip to the Etihad in six weeks time is our only remaining “big six” fixture.

Every other game is more than winnable. Looking at the nine teams we are still to play, we got eight wins and a draw in the corresponding fixtures with the draw coming against City.

Replicate those results and the title will be ours.   

Rediscovering our set piece prowess is massive.

For all the droning about how we only score from set plays, which is easily disproved nonsense, yesterday saw our first goals from corners since the win over Leeds in January.

We had a run of 12 goals from open play. That’s the last two against Leeds, three against Sunderland, one against Brentford, two against Wolves and four against Spurs.

If we did indeed only score from set pieces you can be assured, we would be nowhere near the top of the league.

Did you ever see Tony Pulis’ or Sam Allardyce’s sides challenge for the title? No and there’s an obvious reason for that.

We do not rely on set pieces: we are just really good at them.

It’s another string to our bow but it’s not the bow itself. Not by a long chalk. No one wants to see Arsenal do well. No one.