flag
back Back
Man City only have themselves to blame after doing deal with Arsenal for 'little nuisance'

Manchester City's decision is looking worse by the day as the Premier League title race heats up.

This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more

Pep Guardiola Man City
Pep Guardiola is leading Man City through a tense title battle with Arsenal (Image: Getty)

Manchester City letting Nicolas Jover join Arsenal in 2021 has proven to be a costly decision. The revered set-piece coach is actively working against his former employers this season by boosting the Gunners' Premier League title chances, and his expert advice was on full display during Arsenal's win over Tottenham on Sunday.

Jover has become something of a household name for an obscure member of Mikel Arteta's backroom staff. But it's for good reason, as Arsenal's superb performance from set pieces this season has been a key element of their success.

A well-drilled Gunners attack scored two goals from corner kicks in their 3-2 win over local rivals Spurs, with Jover lapping up the celebrations. Arteta and the German-born coach first worked together on Pep Guardiola's Manchester City backroom team.

Arteta then left to take the top job at Arsenal in 2019, and he came back in for Jover two years later. If City go on to lose this year's title race, there is little doubt that the Gunners' set-piece prowess will have played a major role.

Watch all the Premier League and Champions League drama unfold on TNT Sports

Arsenal FC v Luton Town - Premier League
Nicolas Jover's set-piece expertise has come up trumps for Arsenal (Image: Getty)

The 16-goal haul Arsenal have managed from corners this campaign has not been matched since 2016/17, when West Bromwich Albion notched the same total.

Running through Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg's own goal on Sunday, Sky Sports co-commentator Gary Neville jokingly branded Jover a 'little nuisance'. "They’ve got the first goal, Arsenal, and it has been the same Arsenal set-up all year, and it’s been good all year," said the Manchester United legend.

"Ben White the nuisance, the five big lads at the back getting across that near-post and [Takehiro] Tomiyasu does just enough. He just blocks Hojbjerg and he can’t get a full head on it.

"He just glances it and the goalkeeper, [Guglielmo] Vicario, it’s past him in a flash. He has no chance. Arteta jumps up and there he is, the set-piece coach. He’s a little nuisance that set-piece coach, but he’s damn good!"

Frenchman Jover, who was born in Berlin, began working with Ligue 1 side Montpellier in his twenties before becoming an assistant at Brentford in 2016. Three years with the Bees preceded his spell at City, which in turn came before his rise to prominence at Arsenal.

Looking back on the shrewd decision to go after his fellow ex-City colleague, Arteta told TNT Sports earlier this year: "I gave my advice to go and recruit Nico. I met him, we started to discuss how we could apply set pieces to the open play, which is also connected, they're not two separate things, it's all connected in the game, and how we could maximize that.

"I knew Nico from before, and I asked him to come and join our project, he did, and he's having a really strong impact on the team."

You may like

£43m attacker prioritising Arsenal move as Arteta tells board to sign him

footballfancast.com il y a 3 heures

Arsenal star ‘agrees to join’ Newcastle United as Eddie Howe edges closer to England internationa

shieldsgazette.com il y a 2 heures

Man City 115 charges and points deduction reality as Arsenal Premier League title hope explained

football.london il y a 2 jours

Arsenal star wanted in Saudi transfer as Adidas leaves Gunners fans frustrated

arsenalinsider.com il y a 15 heures

Titles stripped, relegation - Man City 115 charges verdict as Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham wait

football.london il y a un jour

Theo Walcott admits that some Arsenal fans still can’t ‘forgive’ him for one thing

arsenalinsider.com il y a 2 jours

Man City make £100m transfer move against Arsenal as Edu plans rocked after shock clause change

football.london il y a 17 heures

Pep Guardiola says £55k-a-week player is the reason why Arsenal are not the Premier League champi

tbrfootball.com il y a 2 jours

Jurgen Klopp reveals the Premier League player he ‘doesn’t like’ after costly title-race incident

sportbible.com il y a 13 heures

Arsenal will have a Premier League trophy waiting for them on Sunday as Premier League plans reve

standard.co.uk il y a 2 jours