"Set-Piece FC!" the Emirates roared.
And Mikel Arteta didn't flinch — he embraced it.
If Arsenal are going to end their 22-year wait for a Premier League title, they may do it not with silky open-play poetry — but with ruthless, repeatable precision from 12 yards out.
On March 2, 2026, headers from William Saliba and Jurrien Timber sank Chelsea 2–1 at the Emirates, pushing Arsenal five points clear at the top of the table. Both goals? Corners.
Sixteen goals from corners this season.
A Premier League record equalled — matching Oldham (1992/93) and West Brom (2016/17).
As jubilant fans chanted "set-piece again, ole, ole," a new identity crystallised.
Arsenal: deadly from dead balls.
Not everyone is applauding.
Former Chelsea striker Chris Sutton labelled them "Set-piece Arsenal" and questioned whether they could become the "ugliest Premier League-winning team in history."
"The performance wasn't there," Sutton argued.
Arteta's response? Calm. Calculated. Unbothered.
"We knew the importance of the individual duels at set plays because Chelsea are a top side attacking and defending them," he said. "It's very important. To have these options is great."
No apologies. No defensiveness. Just conviction.
Behind the scenes, set-piece coach Nicolas Jover continues to build a reputation bordering on myth. Arsenal's choreography at corners isn't accidental. It's engineered. Timed runs. Blockers. Zoned chaos. Precision delivery.
And it's winning games.
Chelsea briefly disrupted the script when Piero Hincapie inadvertently headed Reece James' corner into his own net just before half-time. A rare blemish for Arsenal in dead-ball situations this season.
But the decisive blow came from another corner — Declan Rice swinging it in, Timber rising highest, controversy simmering over grappling in the box.
Chelsea appealed for a foul. The referee waved play on.
Liam Rosenior was frustrated — not just with the decision, but with a recurring problem.
"To concede two goals from set plays… is very disappointing," he said. "Arsenal are probably the best team in the world at them."
That's not faint praise.
Chelsea have now conceded nine set-piece goals in Rosenior's first 13 matches — five of those against Arsenal alone. Even after implementing a new defensive scheme specifically for this clash, it collapsed under pressure.
Rosenior even hinted that football's lawmakers may need to revisit the rules around grappling before corners are delivered.
"There's a rule that says there can't be a foul while the ball is not in play. There's a lot of holding and grappling that goes on," he noted. "It needs to be looked at."
Translation? Arsenal are pushing the boundaries — legally.
And why wouldn't they?
Manchester City remain in pursuit, with a game in hand and a crucial April showdown looming. Arsenal are also alive in every competition, chasing what could become a historic quadruple.
"In March, we are in every competition, we are right up there," Arteta said.
The bigger picture matters.
Arsenal have responded to a wobble by beating Tottenham and Chelsea back-to-back. They're five points clear. They're adaptable. They're clinical in moments that others overlook.
Critics can debate aesthetics.
But titles are not awarded for style points.
If "Set-Piece FC" lifts the trophy in May, the chant won't sound like mockery.
It will sound like prophecy.