Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on March 3, 2026
4 min readLast updated: April 2, 2026
Add as preferred source on GoogleArsenal have leaned heavily on set-pieces this season, matching the Premier League record with 16 corner goals, while Manchester City remain near the bottom in set-piece scoring. Guardiola acknowledges changing tactics, but says he must adapt even if he doesn’t prefer this style.
By Martyn Herman
LONDON, March 3 (Reuters) - Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola and Arsenal counterpart Mikel Arteta share a common goal in their battle for Premier League supremacy but are going about achieving it in very different ways.
While leaders Arsenal have become kings of the set piece this season, scoring 33% of their 58 goals from such situations, including 16 from corner routines, City have largely shunned the Premier League's new obsession.
This season, 27% of all Premier League goals have come from set pieces, more than any other league in Europe and the highest percentage in England's top flight since 2009-10.
Corners have led to 138 goals, already more than in the whole of the previous campaign.
Guardiola brought his famed tika-taka style to the Premier League when he arrived at City in 2016 and has remained faithful to an intricate possession-based style during a glittering reign that has delivered six English titles and provided a blueprint that many others tried to follow.
The signing of goal-machine Erling Haaland led to a slightly more direct style in recent seasons, but City's essence remains intact, evidenced by the fact they are second-bottom of the table based on goals scored from set plays at 10.5%.
"Set-pieces have started to be important. It was different when I started as a manager," Guardiola told reporters on Tuesday ahead of his side's crucial home clash with Nottingham Forest which they need to win to keep the pressure on Arsenal.
"When I was a young boy we said the people in England celebrate corners and free-kicks like a goal. I remember perfectly, so nothing has changed in that way."
Arsenal are not lacking for flair players and usually dominate possession but were labelled "ugly" by BBC pundit Chris Sutton after a 2-1 win over Chelsea on Sunday in which both goals arrived via headers from corners.
HOLDING AND BLOCKING
The sight of players grappling, holding and blocking like wrestlers before corners was a feature of the derby but it is what enticed millions across the world to tune in.
Liverpool manager Arne Slot said games are no longer "a joy" while Chelsea's Liam Rosenior has demanded a review to control the rugby-like scrums at corners.
City will aim to keep the pressure firmly on Arsenal by beating struggling Forest, but do not expect to see Guardiola demanding long throws or for his side to play for corners.
Not that he was being drawn too deeply into the debate about Arsenal's methods as he addressed the media.
"It is the business I am in. I am a manager. I can't say 'I don't like set-pieces'. I adapt and do it," Guardiola said.
"Football has been played in so many ways since it was created. How it is played in England is different in the way it is played in Spain or Italy.
"Every manager plays in different ways. How boring would it be if all the managers played in the same way. I have to adapt. If I don't like, I don't watch but I have to adapt."
Arsenal, who are five points clear having played one game more than City, travel to Brighton & Hove Albion, whose manager Fabian Hurzeler knows what is coming.
"It is definitely a big strength from Arsenal, they do it in an impressive way this season," he said.
"They have a lot of good takers, they have a lot of physicality, so it is definitely something we have to take care of, but we will stick to our principles."
(Reporting by Martyn Herman, editing by Ed Osmond)
33% of Arsenal's 58 goals this season have come from set pieces, including 16 from corners.
Manchester City are second-bottom in set piece goals, with only 10.5% of their goals coming from such situations.
27% of all Premier League goals this season are from set pieces, the highest since 2009-10, reflecting a league-wide focus on exploiting these opportunities.
Pep Guardiola prefers an intricate, possession-based style and adapts to set pieces when necessary but does not prioritize them.
Arsenal's set piece strength has contributed significantly to their position as league leaders and increased their goal output.
Explore more articles in the Headlines category
