Thierry Henry has highlighted Arsenal’s attacking form this season while pointing out that none of their 10 goals has come from a set-piece.
The former Arsenal striker made the observation after Mikel Arteta’s side maintained their perfect start to the campaign with a narrow victory away to Napoli in the opening round of the Champions League league phase.
Arsenal secured a 1-0 win in Wednesday’s match, with Martin Ødegaard scoring the decisive goal in the 75th minute. The result means the Gunners have won all five of their matches so far this season, including three games in the Premier League.
Henry’s assessment focused on the contrast between Arsenal’s overall attacking success and their return from set-piece situations. The London club have scored 10 times during their unbeaten start, but, as Henry noted, none of those goals has come directly from a set-piece.
“Arsenal have not scored from a set-piece in any of their 10 goals this season!” Henry said.
That statistic was the main point of Henry’s comments as he assessed an Arsenal team that has continued to produce results in the early stages of the campaign. Their victory in Naples was decided by Ødegaard’s goal 15 minutes before the end of the match, giving Arteta’s team another narrow success.
The result against Napoli also extended Arsenal’s winning run to five matches in all competitions. Three of those victories have come in the Premier League, while Wednesday’s win came in the Champions League.
Although the scoreline in Italy was only 1-0, Arsenal’s latest result added to the attacking progress Henry had identified. The team have scored 10 goals across their five matches, yet their goals have all arrived through open-play situations rather than from set pieces.
Henry’s comments therefore combined praise for Arsenal’s start with a specific observation about an area that has not yet contributed to their scoring total. His remarks came as the club continued their strong opening run under Arteta, with the win over Napoli preserving their record of winning every match this season.
The victory was also significant because it came away from home against Napoli in the first round of the Champions League league phase. Ødegaard’s goal in the 75th minute proved enough to settle the contest and ensure Arsenal left Naples with another victory.
Arsenal’s record now stands at five wins from five matches, with their Champions League campaign beginning in successful fashion. Henry’s comments leave the team’s attacking output in a positive light, while drawing attention to the fact that set pieces have not yet produced any of their 10 goals this season.