As Arsenal prepares for the Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain, a common narrative surrounds the Gunners. They are often painted as a defensively solid, pragmatic side that relies heavily on set pieces, particularly corners, to find the back of the net. While there is a kernel of truth in this, a closer look at the statistics and their recent performances reveals a far more complete and dangerous team than the cliché suggests.
The set-piece reputation is not unfounded. Arsenal has indeed been prolific from corners in the Premier League this season, scoring a record-breaking 17 goals from such situations. This has led to celebrations at the Emirates Stadium for hard-fought 1-0 victories, reinforcing the image of a team that grinds out results. However, this specific strength has not translated consistently into their recent form across all competitions. In their last fifteen matches, they have scored only once from a set piece, and in 2026, their corner goal tally in the league stands at just five.
This recent dip in set-piece efficiency does not signal an offensive decline. On the contrary, Arsenal's attacking output remains formidable. In the Champions League, they have found the net 29 times in 14 matches, averaging more than two goals per game. Domestically, their 67 goals scored and 60.6 expected goals place them firmly in the Premier League's top three for both metrics. This productivity has been achieved even while missing key creative forces like Bukayo Saka and Martin Ödegaard for significant stretches of the season.
Defensively, the team's credentials are undeniable. They boast the best defensive record in the English top flight, conceding only 26 goals in 35 league games. In Europe, they have been even stingier, allowing just six goals in 14 Champions League outings. This resilience forms the bedrock of their success, but it is their ability to combine this solidity with consistent goal-scoring that makes them such a formidable opponent.
For PSG, the challenge is multifaceted. While they must remain vigilant against Arsenal's set-piece threat, which now includes a new wrinkle of ground-based combinations, they also face a side that can hurt them in open play. The Parisian defense has managed only five clean sheets in the Champions League this season, though three of those came in the knockout rounds. The final will test whether they can contain an Arsenal attack that is far more than the sum of its set-piece parts.
Based on reporting from Foot - actualités, mercato, info & vidéo en continu.
