2 weeks ago
It was acold from comfortable astatine nan extremity but Arsenal person successfully cleared different precocious hurdle successful their bid to triumph a first Premier League title successful 2 decades.
At Tottenham connected Sunday, arsenic truthful often this season, it was nan Gunners' invention astatine set-pieces that made nan important difference.
Set-piece coach Nicolas Jover was deservedly astatine nan forefront of touchline celebrations arsenic Arsenal scored doubly from corners.
They required a needed a helping manus for nan first, pinch Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg heading past his ain goalkeeper, nan 2nd was intelligibly disconnected nan training crushed arsenic Kai Havertz nodded home.
Jover joined Mikel Arteta successful starring Arsenal's celebrations aft both, a rightful appreciation of his domiciled successful transforming nan team's effectiveness from specified situations.
Arsenal's set-piece coach Nicolas Jover (right, pinch Mikel Arteta) has transformed their dormant shot effectiveness, thing again evident successful Sunday's 3-2 derby triumph complete Tottenham
The Gunners opened nan scoring from a area erstwhile Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg scored an ain goal
Arsenal's 3rd extremity besides came from a area regular arsenic Kai Havertz nodded home
Arsenal set-piece coach Nicolas Jover enjoyed Arsenal's opener against Tottenham 🚩
The Gunners person scored much goals from group pieces (excluding pens) than immoderate different Premier League broadside this play 💫 pic.twitter.com/zxZiKX49e2
They person scored much goals from set-pieces than immoderate different Premier League broadside this play and nan Havertz extremity was their 16th from a header, equalling their Premier League grounds for a season.
No wonderment Sky Sports co-commentator Gary Neville said: 'It's been nan aforesaid Arsenal set-up each twelvemonth and it's been bully each year.
'He's a small nuisance that set-piece coach, but he's damn good!'
Jover, 42, has decidedly go Arteta's concealed limb this play arsenic they situation to dream of ending their agelong hold for title success.
He made nan headlines backmost successful October erstwhile Manchester City's Kyle Walker appeared to snub a handshake from Jover after Arsenal hit them astatine nan Emirates.
There is history location because Jover worked successful nan aforesaid domiciled for Pep Guardiola astatine City betwixt 2019 and 2021, earlier linking up again pinch Arteta astatine Arsenal.
Now some are going up against their aged employer successful a gripping title race.
Berlin-born Jover began his profession arsenic a video expert astatine French nine Montpellier and concisely served successful a akin domiciled for nan Croatia nationalist team.
He came to England successful July 2016 to activity arsenic an adjunct coach to Dean Smith astatine Brentford and continued nether Thomas Frank when nan Bees were successful nan Championship.
16 - Arsenal person scored 16 goals from corners successful nan Premier League this season, nan astir by a squad successful a azygous run since West Bromwich Albion nether Tony Pulis successful 2016-17 (16). Strategy. pic.twitter.com/uEprfiFN4Z
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) April 28, 2024Jover is pictured pinch Arteta aft Arsenal hit City to triumph nan Community Shield successful August
Arteta and Jover worked together astatine Man City earlier nan coach poached him for Arsenal
Jover (right) pinch Pep Guardiola and City's coaching unit aft they won nan 2020 League Cup
Jover issues instructions to Leandro Trossard during Arsenal's lucifer pinch Bayern Munich
His talents were recognised by Guardiola and successful 2019, Jover joined City's coaching unit to activity connected set-pieces.
While astatine nan Etihad, Jover worked successful his first fewer months pinch Mikel Arteta, Guardiola's No 2, earlier he near to return nan Arsenal job.
Arteta persuaded Jover to return a akin domiciled astatine Arsenal successful July 2021 aft erstwhile set-piece coach Andreas Georgson returned to Malmo arsenic sporting director.
Jover established a estimation for set-piece invention - during his 2 years pinch City, nan nine created 104 chances from group plays successful Premier League action, starring to 16 goals.
He besides improved City's grounds of defending guidance set-pieces, helping them trim nan percent of goals conceded from specified business from 39 per cent successful 2018-19 to conscionable 20 per cent nan pursuing play and 19 per cent nan play after.
Arsenal's set-piece effectiveness showed a akin betterment erstwhile Jover was installed astatine nan club.
Kyle Walker was progressive successful a heated confrontation pinch Arsenal set-piece coach Nicolas Jover erstwhile nan Gunners hit Man City 1-0 astatine nan Emirates successful October
Sky Sports footage of nan incident showed Jover offering Walker a handshake arsenic nan City man walked towards nan tunnel, only for Walker to disregard him pinch a activity of nan hand
Words are past exchanged and an angered Walker turns backmost successful bid to face Jover
Walker is led distant backmost towards nan passageway but points his digit astatine an Arsenal official
Now, successful a title title of good margins, it could mean nan quality betwixt Arsenal winning nan convention and City making it four-in-a-row.
Arteta was afloat alert of nan quality Jover could make. After poaching him from City, he said: 'I believed we needed personification who specialised successful that.
'I met him, we started to talk really we could use set-pieces to nan unfastened play, which is besides connected, they're not 2 abstracted things, it's each connected successful nan game, and really we could maximise that.
'I knew Nico from before, and I asked him to travel and subordinate our project, and he's having a really beardown effect connected nan team.'
That was evident yet again connected Sunday.
