Mikel Arteta's Unconventional 'Scrambled Legs' Strategy and Set-Piece Secrets that Led Arsenal to Premier League Glory

MIKEL ARTETA has masterminded Arsenal’s way to the Premier League title for the first time in 22 years.

Despite being labelled as “set-piece FC”, has in fact utilized a fair few unorthodox tactics which SunSport’s series has picked up across the season.

Mikel Arteta has masterminded Arsenal’s way to a title-winning campaign Credit: PA Declan Rice has been the man on the pitch spearheading that effort Credit: Getty

All season we have tried to extract the tactical elements of each game, and this has included labels such as “scrambled legs”, “magnet man”, “space hopper”, “force field” and, a personal favourite, “Bak, Sak, and crack”.

However, in this episode we will break down how Arteta’s brilliant changes and tweaks throughout the season have let the Gunners finally hit their mark at the top of the table.

Work of Art

Arteta, 44, gets his fair share of stick owing to his touchline antics, his demeanour in some press conferences and some of the tricks he has imposed.

But if you win titles you can forget all of the nonsense that has gone on before and say that it all worked.

However, perhaps the most crucial thing the Spaniard has going for him is his tactical flexibility.

The typical 4-2-3-1 shape they deploy on paper has manoeuvred itself into several different formations including 4-3-3, 4-5-1, 3-2-4-1 and 4-4-2, and amidst all those tactical tweaks he makes against certain opponents, he keeps to their principles.

This includes the two wheels on the outside involving the two sitting midfielders, two attacking midfielders and two wingers to make a triangle of players on both sides.

We also know they favour the right side because their best player is , but Arteta does not “pigeon hole” players and allows them to be flexible within their shape.

Arteta previously spoke about how would not be as exciting to watch as in previous seasons, but they have also addressed the relative lack of quality against – whose mega riches thwarted the Gunners title hopes twice before.

They have gone through numerous phases throughout the season.

But Arteta’s principles have remained the foundation for it all, with the three-at-the-back shape allowing them to be the best recovery team in the world off the ball, and perhaps even the best the Premier League has ever seen.

In possession too Arteta has played blinder after blinder, with one key example being against when he set up with a diamond and went straight down the middle of the winners and blew them away 4-1.

Arteta has kept Arsenal true to their principles Players are not pigeon holed but are flexible

Special (fried) Rice

Lots of fans had delighted in ‘s near misses with trophies after leaving the Hammers for the Gunners, until Tuesday night that is.

The midfielder was outside the Emirates until 6am leading the celebrations. We have done an obvious pun on him, but by rights Rice should be fried given the amount of ground he has covered this season.

His engine, and attention to detail in tactics, have helped make him a key figure in this Arsenal title win, and rightly put him among the frontrunners for the Player of the Year.

The only player even in the conversation with Rice is captain Bruno Fernandes, who has broken the assist record and scooped the Football Writers’ Association award.

Rice has been the player of the year this season Every member of the title winning squad have played an important role

However, Rice, 27, has bigger fish to fry.

When we spoke to him in an exclusive interview earlier this season, you could see his love and understanding of the game come through.

He understands his role, no matter what role he is asked to play, in any given game.

Rice is not just the best midfielder in the Premier League, but also easily in the European Team of the Season and you wouldn’t put him past being in the Team of the World Cup as well.

They think it’s all Jover

As mentioned earlier, Arsenal have been branded “set-piece FC” for most of the season.

There is absolutely no way of getting around the fact the Gunners are record breakers in this regard, with their 28 set piece goals three more than the next best team, Man Utd.

Rubbish and belittle it all you want, but it is a perfectly legitimate tactic and has ultimately been a huge part in winning them the league.

As a result, Arsenal’s set-piece coach Nicolas Jover has to be one of the best signings Arteta has made.

Nicolas Jover has been one of Arsenal’s best signings Credit: Getty Arsenal have raised the bar on set pieces this season

Since he joined, everyone else has been trying to get close to Arsenal’s level.

Teams have got a lot better at it this season, but the Gunners raised the bar even higher by using different routines against different opponents.

There has to be a special mention for Gabriel as well.

He is the epitome of Arteta and Jover on the pitch, and the Brazilian is the fulcrum of attention at corners and free-kicks.

They have adapted to score goals from everywhere And in every style

You can see and feel it on the ground that you know what they’re going to do, but they don’t do the same every week.

They set the tone for it in their first game at , scoring at a set piece and protecting their own goalkeeper better than anybody else protects theirs.

That does bring us on to too, whose crucial saves have made it possible to put Arsenal at the summit.

And it wouldn’t be fair not to mention some of the other players in the squad including the genius of , how has covered for Saka through injury, and also one of the moments of the season in ‘s goal against .

All the latest on Arsenal’s title win…

• Arsenal crowned Premier League ends Arteta’s trophy drought
• Arsenal stars watch Man City slip up at Bournemouth
• Arsenal fans go wild as they
• How Arsenal won the Premier League title
• Inside Arteta’s motivational methods that