Arsenal FC have been the favourites for most trophies this season. The term “Quadruple” was a realistic dream for all their fans. After years of disappointment, rebuild and close finishes, the Gunners were one of the most consistent teams lacking silverware. The transfer window saw the club add Hincapie to strengthen their already solid defense of Saliba, Gabriel, Timber, Calafiori. The missing piece for the club was a proper and consistent striker, which they achieved by signing Viktor Gyokeres from Sporting CP. The player had over 50 goal contributions and was among the hottest prospects coming into the new season.
Arsenal have had a splendid time this season until March. They were first in the Premier League and the UCL. They managed to win 8/8 games in Europe defeating the likes of Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid comfortably. They have one of the best defensive performances up to this phase of the season. As of early April they sit 9 points clear at the top of the league ahead of Manchester City and have qualified for the UCL quarter finals against Sporting CP.
The fans were genuinely appreciative of their performances and believed that the treble was on the cards. For their disappointment, Arsenal lost the Carabao Cup final to Manchester City and got knocked out of the FA Cup by Southampton, bringing their season to an unfortunate ending. But rivals believe that Arsenal always end up throwing away their wins somehow and had managed to lose the league twice earlier despite having a comfortable lead at the halfway stage of the season. Such results have earned the team the title of “Bottlers” from rival fans.
But what is the exact case and loose point for this Arsenal team that has an amazing squad depth. Over the season, the North London club has often been clowned upon, by being called “Set-Piece FC”. The reason behind it is simple, most of their goals have come from either corners or freekicks. Something that started off as banter, has now become a talking point among fans and pundits. Scoring from set-pieces is not as horrible as people believe. They are an integral aspect of the game and every team would want to excel in scoring from set pieces. But the issue with Arteta’s team is that they only focus on scoring from set pieces. They lack creativity and struggle to score or create anything from open play. This was one of the key factors in their Cup final loss to City and recent slip up.
Over the past 2 seasons Arsenal have hired a number of set-piece coaches. Their most recent one being in January, former Liverpool coach who specialises in throw-ins. Post a defeat against a club in the league, the manager of the winning team stated their secret recipe. They reduced the distance between the touchline and the advertisement boards, which reduced space for movement and affected the Gunners throw-in.
These tactics made the team look absolutely clueless against Manchester United in the second half of the season.
Gyokeres was expected to have a Haaland-like impact. But has significantly struggled for consistency to repeat the magic from his Sporting FC days. Forwards like Saka and Trossard look completely out of shape and are not contributing at their usual levels. The defenders and the midfielders have become the team’s main goal creators.
With an important clash against Sporting in the UCL, things would get interesting for the Gunners. With the quadruple hopes diminished, the club will set its sights on achieving their first ever UCL and completing a double by winning the Premier League.
Aadi's Sports Corner 
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