Turning the corner: how Arsenal caused havoc for Liverpool Women at setpieces

03/23/2025 12:07 PM

Arsenal's biggest tactical weapon in their 4-0 victory over Liverpool on Saturday was their ability to expose the visitors behind their full-backs, much as they did against Everton last weekend. Time and again, Arsenal found slipped balls into the channels behind Grace Fisk and Taylor Hinds.

This was part of the reason that Mariona started in a deeper position as Arsenal's best purveyor of those balls in behind. 'she sets up other players so she always creates situations where other players get time and space on the ball. And we felt today it was important for her to get in the in the middle of the pitch,' she told Arseblog News after the match.

Arsenal's second goal in this game, the first Jasmine Matthews own goal, is identical to Arsenal's second goal at Everton last weekend, which was also an own goal by Maren Mjelde. I asked Slegers about exposing Liverpool in the channels post-match and she said, 'Yeah, we had we had a plan for it. We always try to create those situations, we did things a little bit differently from what we might have done before and I think we were a little bit more aware.

'We played two weeks ago so we knew how we could manipulate or we predicted how we could manipulate those spaces a little bit better and I think the girls on the pitch recognise that really well. We created a lot of options in those areas so there was always decisions to make for Liverpool and I think that's where it comes from.'

However, I am not going to write about that for this analysis piece. Instead, the setpiece routines caught my eye in this game. It is not an area where Arsenal have been especially prodigious in the last season and a half as they lack aerial prowess. Liverpool, however, win the highest number of aerial duels in the WSL.

And yet, the Gunners have scored from corners against the Reds in both WSL encounters this season. Let's have a look at how Arsenal's creative setpiece routines that aimed to reduce Liverpool's obvious aerial advantage. Firstly, let's look at the winning goal from Alessia Russo in the reverse fixture in December.

It's a low, flat delivery from McCabe and Russo scores from a second contact situation. Arsenal don't float the delivery into the six-yard area for a Liverpool centre-half to gobble up. We see those themes repeated in this game too, with Arsenal changing the angle of delivery, prioritising second contact situations or experimenting with flatter deliveries. Let's have a look.

Chloe Kelly took a lot of the corners on the day and here, she opts to go short to McCabe. You can see in the six-yard area how tall Liverpool are, especially with Sophie Roman Haug defending the front post. Grace Fisk was playing as a full-back and she is essentially a centre-half by trade too.

McCabe and Kelly play a very quick one-two to change the angle of the delivery. This is because Kelly wants to really whip the ball towards the front post so even if a Liverpool head gets onto the ball, they either can't clear the ball emphatically or else Arsenal might pick up a second phase situation. All of Arsenal's deliveries were about avoiding high or looping deliveries that could be easily headed up and away.

Jenna Clark does get her head to Kelly's corner but because of the angle and the whip, she can only head it up into the air and Arsenal now have a second phase situation to challenge for. Arsenal used Leah Williamson for these second ball situations, holding her off from attacking the initial delivery.

Liverpool can't fully clear their lines, Russo looks to get another cross in which is blocked for another corner. Arsenal tried to ensure that Liverpool could not dominate from setpieces and clear them easily.

The resulting corner is driven in by McCabe with the laces, again, avoiding 'loopy' deliveries was a priority.

Haug gets her head on this but she is unable to generate distance on the clearance due to the driven delivery.

As with the first corner, we can see that Williamson holds off and doesn't attack the initial delivery. Her role for a lot of the corners was to initiate the second phase and challenge for secondary aerial balls. But this time, Jenna Clark does get her head on it and Olivia Smith hooks the ball away. It took three Liverpool contacts before the ball was away from danger.

Arsenal score from their third corner and they show some variety in the routine. But the delivery, as ever, is driven with the laces and not looped with the instep from Chloe Kelly.

Williamson again hangs back but because this is an outswinger, it's a first contact situation. By the time the ball reaches the back post and Williamson challenges for it, the trajectory of the ball is so low that it ends up hitting her hip and back into the melee.

From here, Maanum and Foord between them are able to scramble the ball into the net. But just like Russo's goal in the reverse fixture, the ball is below head height and Liverpool's aerial advantage is eliminated.

For the next corner, we once again see that driven delivery with the laces from Chloe Kelly.

Liverpool get a head on it but, yet again, they are unable to generate distance on the clearance from the driven, outswinging delivery and Arsenal get a second chance to challenge for the ball in the area.

Little wins the aerial duel and helps the ball back into the area but Liverpool clear the loose ball. But again, Liverpool need multiple attempts to get the ball out of their area. (Arsenal collect the clearance on this occasion and keep the pressure on).

The next corner sees Arsenal prioritise changing the angle of delivery again, as McCabe goes short to Kelly and Kelly passes to the corner of the penalty area. (Arsenal's coaching staff refer to this area as 'the golden zone' for crosses).

Little goes back to McCabe and we can already see her winding up her left foot for delivery.

Again, McCabe strikes through her laces and lashes the delivery to the back post and Williamson heads it into the side netting. But by the time the ball drops to Williamson, the trajectory is again quite low and Williamson has to stoop to meet it. Even if the Liverpool defenders get contact on this cross, all they would be able to do is put the ball behind for another corner.

Jenna Nighswonger takes the first corner of the second half and we see another outswinging delivery driven with the laces.

Jasmine Matthews gets good contact but the ball still drops to Emily Fox in a nice central position under little pressure and Arsenal keep the pressure on. This was Arsenal's least effective corner on the day and it still saw them keep the ball due to the driven delivery. They force another corner from this situation.

Once again, it is a driven outswinger from Kelly.

Fisk gets a head on it but she can't get it away from danger due to the flatness and pace of the corner. Again, it's Williamson peeling away for the second phase situation.

From the situation, Williamson gets a good shot away which Laws tips over. Arsenal have three consecutive corners because Liverpool struggle to emphatically clear the deliveries.

By now you know what to expect from the nature of the contact on the corner from Chloe Kelly, driven through the laces.

Fisk glances Kelly's corner and by now I am wary of repeating myself, she cannot generate distance on the clearance and it comes to Little on the back post who is able to put another cross into the area.

Given how many corner situations Arsenal forced in Madrid and how little they made of any of them, one can hope that Chris Bradley (the setpiece coach) and Renee Slegers come up with some similarly effective routines on Wednesday evening.

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