Whatever Nicolas Jover is being paid, it’s not enough – or so it must have felt for Arsenal fans watching another tense title pursuit. The best way out of a corner? A corner, it turns out. Nobody knows how much the dead-ball goal bonus is in Jover’s contract, but his excitement at every opportunity suggests he sees potential rewards whizzing by like a conveyor belt in a 1970s gameshow.
Havertz Delivers the Decisive Moment
With 35 minutes gone, Kai Havertz floated in the soft evening air, as light as a reed, all alone in front of the Burnley goal as the ball veered gently into his orbit. It was one of those moments where the day just seems to stop. There were only ever two things that could happen here for Arsenal: disaster and non-disaster. Mikel Arteta’s attempts to cope with the pressure have been endearingly earnest, but a 1-0 win means Arsenal are now just two games away from either the greatest season in the club’s history or collapse on a hideous scale.
The Tension at the Emirates
The Emirates had been a mild, soft place at kick-off, but it was never going to be easy. It took half an hour for the first real notes of tension to creep in. Arsenal had one shot on target at that point and endless diffuse possession. Martin Ødegaard seemed to be constantly jinking inside, then jinking inside again, as if convinced he could jink all the way around the world. For a while, it was hard not to stare as the word “Zilch” scrolled across every lighted advertising board, fanfaring Arsenal’s Official Payment Partner – an ominous presence given the stakes.
Leandro Trossard hit the foot of the post, and a VAR check for a penalty after a trip on Bukayo Saka came and went. But the moment arrived from a corner. Saka delivered, Havertz nodded it in from three yards out. Arsenal have now scored 18 goals from corners, the most decisive contribution to their title challenge, four more than the next highest scorer.
The Craft of Set Pieces
Set-piece goals aren’t luck or cynicism; they are craft, skill, practice, and bravery. Defending them is a skill too, one that many teams seem to have sacrificed for other benefits like ball-playing defenders or sweeper-keepers. Crystal Palace away is the final step for Arsenal. There has been a theory that the team will experience a freeing up, but winning comes first. All that seems certain is that it’s probably going to hurt a little more either way.
