Arsenal’s strong defense and set-piece prowess have been key to their title hopes and Mikel Arteta is pinning the club’s title hopes on these strengths.
Arsenal’s defense has been a rock this season, conceding just three Premier League goals and keeping a clean sheet in three Champions League games. Manager Mikel Arteta is pinning his hopes on this defensive fortress to deliver the silverware that has eluded the North London club for so long.
The commanding center-back partnership of William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes, along with goalkeeper David Raya, has been instrumental in Arsenal’s defensive solidity. Arteta believes that this strong foundation is crucial to their title hopes, saying, “The stronger we are with the foundations, the more probability we have of winning.”
Arsenal’s set-piece prowess has also been rewriting the record books, with 10 goals from set plays in eight games, the earliest any side has reached double figures for set-piece goals in Premier League history.
Arteta credits the training ground obsession that has turned dead-ball situations into Arsenal’s secret weapon.
The team’s defensive record is one of the best in the league, and Arteta believes that this, combined with their set-piece strength, gives them a good chance of winning the title.
“The teams with the best defensive records, most of the time, apart from the last three seasons in the Premier League, you normally win the title,” he said.
Arsenal’s next test is against Crystal Palace, a team they held to a 2-2 draw in April. Arteta is focused on getting a win this time around, saying, “This season we’ve been able to beat them, so our focus is on continuing that.”
The match also gives attacking midfielder Eberechi Eze the chance to face his former club, and Arteta is aware of the significance of this. “For Ebs (Eze) we know it is going to be a very special match with the history and what he did for Palace, but the focus is on the team,” he said.
Arsenal’s strong defense and set-piece edge have been key to their title hopes, and Arteta is confident that these strengths will deliver silverware. “We hope that these records that we are getting a lot bring silverware at the end and the trophies that we want,” he said.
The team will be looking to continue their winning streak against Palace, and Arteta is optimistic about their chances.
