Arteta welcomes Arsenal's 'Set Piece FC' moniker following corner success against Chelsea

Mikel Arteta stated that Arsenal are content to accept their 'Set Piece FC' tag after employing effective corner strategies to secure a crucial 2-1 victory over Chelsea on Sunday.

Arteta's team extended their lead at the summit of the Premier League by five points with goals from headers by William Saliba and Jurrien Timber at the Emirates Stadium.

The Gunners have netted 16 goals from corners this season, matching the Premier League record previously achieved by Oldham and West Bromwich Albion.

It is little surprise that Arsenal's enthusiastic supporters marked the occasion by singing 'set piece again, ole, ole'.

Chelsea managed a goal from a corner too, as Piero Hincapie unfortunately directed Reece James' cross into his own goal just before the interval, levelling Saliba's initial strike.

This represented an uncommon error for Arsenal in dead ball situations, with set piece specialist Nicolas Jover enhancing his standing through yet another exemplary display.

In their pursuit of a first English championship since 2004, Arsenal's expertise in set plays has become their standout feature.

However, not all observers appreciate the set piece onslaught driving their campaign for the title.

Ex Chelsea forward Chris Sutton criticised Arsenal's dependence on this method.

'Set piece Arsenal, once more. I believe they will claim it,' Sutton commented on BBC Radio Five Live.

'Should they succeed, might they rank as the least attractive Premier League champions ever? The display lacked flair.'

Nevertheless, Arteta sees no issue in highlighting the merits of set pieces.

'We recognised the significance of one on one battles during set plays, given Chelsea's strength in both attack and defence from them,' the Arsenal manager explained.

'This applies to every opponent really. The Premier League boasts immense quality in set piece execution.

'It holds great importance. We have dropped points due to long throws and recently we have not converted many set pieces. Today we managed it. Possessing these avenues is excellent.'

We remain in the mix

Manchester City, with a match to spare and set to face Arsenal in April, continue to pose a serious challenge for the crown.

Arteta's confidence in set plays makes sense, as Arsenal position themselves for a potential quadruple following a recovery from recent setbacks with wins over Tottenham and Chelsea in back to back fixtures.

'We feel delighted because we understood we faced two tough encounters in the recent period. The mindset and desire to compete and control proceedings please me,' he remarked.

'Come March, we remain active in all competitions and firmly in contention.'

Under Liam Rosenior's tenure in his initial 13 outings, Chelsea have shipped nine goals from set pieces, including five against Arsenal.

The Blues also saw Pedro Neto dismissed for accumulating two yellow cards in the second half, worsening a subpar record in discipline that Rosenior insists they must eliminate.

Rosenior expressed irritation at his team's inability to neutralise Arsenal's corners, despite preparing a fresh approach for the match.

'Allowing two goals from set plays that decided the outcome proves deeply frustrating,' Rosenior noted.

'We leaked one from a corner versus Burnley last week too. This issue has crept into our play and is leading to lost points. We implemented a novel tactic and it fell short today.

'Arsenal may well be the premier side globally at this. It involves various elements. The man marking, the zonal coverage. Even the keeper plays a role. I shall not point fingers. I will tackle it during training.'

Chelsea unsuccessfully sought a penalty for a foul prior to Timber's decisive goal, and Rosenior suggested that the sport's governing bodies could revise regulations to address squads like Arsenal, who excel at restraining opponents prior to delivery.

'A regulation exists stating no fouls occur with the ball out of play. Plenty of clutching and wrestling happens before the ball arrives,' he observed.

'Set plays carry huge weight in this division. It represents an evolving aspect that warrants review. Yet we need to handle it more effectively ourselves.'