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Gary Neville believes Arsenal’s “obsession” with set-pieces is contributing to their failure to win the Premier League title this season.
The Gunners on Saturday blew the chance to close the gap on table-topping Liverpool to five points by losing at home to West Ham. Just over 24 hours later, they watched on as Liverpool ran out comfortable 2-0 winners over Manchester City to move 11 points clear.
Arsenal have suffered plenty of injuries this season, most notably to star man Bukayo Saka, before Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz were ruled out for the rest of the season. But Neville believes the Gunners’ decline is more down to a new “rigid” approach, and presence of set-piece Nicolas Jover on the touchline and a subsequent lack of “freedom”.x
Put to him that a loss of forward options to injury was a reason behind losing to West Ham, Neville replied: It's a defence, but then you've got to plan for it. I know they didn't want do business in the January transfer window. They thought they were there wasn't quite the sort of value in the market or they couldn't get the player that would come in and impact them, but they have left themselves short. There's no doubt about that.
“And they've fallen short. Even without players [ruled out], they still have to do that job yesterday.
“The last two seasons, they've gone very close, and I had a lot of admiration for them. I felt like they were getting close [to winning the title]. This season is more of a problem for them than the last two. Because when City weren't gonna be there, the team that had to be there was Arsenal because of the growth and how close they were getting.
“And it's not going to be them, it doesn't look like anyway.
“That's the big shock and surprise. And that will be the one that'll hit hardest in that Arsenal boardroom, and with Mikel Arteta, and the dressing room and the players, because they're desperate to win a title and they would have felt like they were inching nearer. So it's a blow.
“Liverpool have dropped points in their last eight games. Liverpool have drawn two in the last three, drawn four in the last eight. Arsenal had a chance to get back closer, they could've gone within five points, yesterday ... It's a big blow. A really big blow.
“Questions will start to be asked ... because it’s that type of season where you think it was up for grabs. Arne Slot has come in as the new manager, [Jurgen] Klopp's left. I certainly felt there would be a drop-off at Liverpool, but Slot been such a cool customer from day one. He’s in complete control.
“Arsenal have become quite rigid, they’ve become quite turgid at times to watch. This obsession with set-pieces, which was overtaking their whole game, exacerbated by this presence of the set-piece coach on the touchline which puts more focus on set-pieces. It's like... no. The freedom's gone a little bit from them.
“I know that they've lost Saka, and I know that they've lost Jesus, and I know they've lost Haverts, which are big blows. I mean, let's be clear, that is that is a big problem for Arsenal. But I still think you've got to do that job yesterday against West Ham at home.”
