Arteta praises his staff for set-piece success

After seeing us score twice from set-pieces to set us on our way to an excellent 5-0 thrashing of Crystal Palace, Mikel Arteta was quick to pass the praise on to his coaching staff for their diligent work setting us up for success.

We have now scored 13 times in the league from dead-ball situations this campaign, which is more than any other side in the top-flight, with Gabriel heading in a Declan Rice corner before causing havoc to force Dean Henderson into an own goal following a Bukayo Saka flag kick.

That provided us with the platform to cruise to victory against the Eagles, and post-match the boss was thrilled that all the effort behind the scenes paid off at Emirates Stadium in the form of those opening two goals, and start to turn our form around again as we moved into third position in the table.

When pressed about our set-piece prowess, he said: “Credit to all the coaches, to Nico [Jover, set-piece coach] for the amount of time and belief we put in.

“It’s got a huge impact - we’ve seen that as well in recent games that we’ve lost when we’ve conceded set-pieces, so the outcome is very different when you don’t concede and score.

“We wanted to start the second part of the season with a great performance, with a great result, and build that positivity and momentum again, and I think the boys did a good job today.”

The third goal was perhaps the highlight of the match as we crafted a fine piece of counter-attacking football to put the contest to bed.

After collecting a wayward cross, an excellent 40-yard throw by David Raya set Gabriel Jesus darting down the right flank, and his precise pass found Leandro Trossard who beat a defender before firing the ball into the net.

That marked the Belgian's first year at the club in style, and Mikel was delighted with all aspects of that goal, as well as the impact its scorer has made on the team in just 12 months.

Looking back at the third goal, he said: “When you have opportunities to run at teams who want to sit a bit low, it’s a great way to do it. David’s reading the space, Gabby’s action as well, the timing of the run was perfect, and Leo, he did what he does best, which is have composure with the ball inside the box to make the right decision.

“I’m really happy with him, he’s such an intelligent footballer. The way he demands himself, the way he pushes others, and the quality that he has to play, in three or four different positions. It’s a joy to have a player like him.”