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Arsenal and Chelsea played out one of the worst games of the season on Sunday, and it’s a painful reminder of what the Premier League has evolved into.
Arne Slot came into the spotlight this week following comments about the lack of joy he gets from watching games in the English top flight.
This, just two days after league leaders Arsenal and top-five contenders Chelsea played out a bizarre game that was decided by not one, not two, but three goals from corners.
A shocking stat emerged in the aftermath of the 2-1 Arsenal win — one that hammers home the fact that Liverpool and Man City’s rivalry was truly special.
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Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images Liverpool vs Man City corner goals compared to Arsenal vs Chelsea
Three converted corners in 90 minutes is extraordinary, but it’s a symptom of the way the Premier League has gone. Set-pieces have been the story of this season, with Arsenal’s dominance in that facet of the game the main talking point.
Liverpool have improved set-pieces massively, with Slot recognising that this is a major part of the game now.
But in the days of the Citypool rivalry — the battles of Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola — it was nothing like this.
Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images
According to Opta, the 16 league meetings of these two famous managers saw just two goals from a corner. In fact, 43 of the 46 goals scored in that Pep-Klopp era were from open play.
Slot is right. The Premier League has become less enjoyable to watch on average. The brand of football has changed across the board and games can often feel devoid of any real excitement.
That game at the Emirates wasn’t bad because of the corners themselves, but rather the lack of any real threat from either side in open play.
It doesn’t look like the set-piece trend is going away, either.
As much as Liverpool have bought into them, they are at their most effective in open grass, creating chances with rapid movement and incisive passing. That hasn’t been on show at Anfield every week — not by a long shot — but we have exciting attackers capable of lifting fans out of their seats. The same can be said for City.
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Mo Salah and Sadio Mane for Liverpool
The game just last month felt like vintage Liverpool vs Man City, with late drama and an intense pace about the game. That kind of pace is killed by a stoppage in play every time the ball goes outside the white lines.
Again according to Opta, Mikel Arteta’s side average four minutes and 18 seconds delay before corners in every game, totting up to over 2 hours this season.
That’s not conducive with the kind of blockbuster ties we grew so used to when it was Liverpool and City competing for the title.
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