Jamie Carragher finds huge fault in Nicolas Jover’s work at Arsenal

Nicolas Jover has earned widespread praise for transforming Arsenal into one of the most dangerous teams in Europe from set pieces. Since arriving at the club, Jover has taken full responsibility for organising and executing the team’s corner and free kick routines. His work has clearly paid off this season, with Arsenal regularly scoring from dead-ball situations and posing a consistent threat in every game.

Under his guidance, the Gunners have shown creativity and precision during attacking set pieces. Whether it’s a direct delivery into the box or a short corner worked into a shooting opportunity, Arsenal now has a clear plan every time they get a chance from a dead-ball situation. This has even led to some neutral observers cheekily suggesting that Arsenal has prioritised set-piece goals over open-play creativity.

Statistically, they are among the best teams in the Premier League when it comes to attacking set pieces, and that has helped them win several crucial matches. However, while their offensive routines are receiving praise, there is growing concern about how vulnerable Arsenal is when defending set pieces.

Despite Jover’s success on one end of the pitch, his team has been found wanting at the other. Arsenal continues to look shaky when facing corners and free kicks in their own box, and this imbalance has now been highlighted by former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher.

Speaking through the Daily Mail, Carragher said, “In terms of percentage, only Man United are worse than Arsenal set-piece-wise this season. So when we make a big deal about the set-piece coach… he’s absolutely out of this world in terms of going forward, but they’ve got a big problem defensively. So should we be cutting his wages in half? Do they need a defensive set-piece coach?”

The comments, though delivered with a touch of sarcasm, underline a serious issue that Arsenal must address. Being dominant at attacking set pieces is a massive asset, but it means little if the team cannot protect its own goal in similar scenarios. For every goal scored from a corner, conceding one from a defensive lapse cancels out the advantage.

Arsenal’s coaching team may now need to reassess their balance and consider whether a specialist coach for defensive set pieces is required. Alternatively, Jover may need to expand his focus and invest more time in correcting the flaws in Arsenal’s structure when defending these situations.