There has been something of an overreaction to Arsenal's defeat to Everton on Saturday lunchtime.
Many have suggested it is evidence that the wheels have begun to fall off and that this is the beginning of the end for the Gunners title race. Stallwarts like Gabriel Martinelli and Ben White who have been excellent all season, have come in for harsh criticism, with some on social media even claiming that the former's contract shouldn't have been extended last week.
The reality was that Arsenal simply hit Everton at a bad time. The new manager bounce is very much a thing and Sean Dyche took advantage. Had it been a few months into the former Burnley manager's reign rather than a few days, then it's hard to imagine his side would have been able to produce the kind of energetic, cacophonous display that put Arsenal's noses out of joint at Goodison Park. At this stage it's probably safe to write it off as a one-off. However, there was one weakness Dyche picked up on that Mikel Arteta will want solved quickly.
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Set pieces have been a real strength of Arsenal's this season. Until two weeks ago, they had conceded from just one in the Premier League - a joint record with West Ham. In their past two matches though, that number has trebled.
It's worth caveating that set piece defending is a team effort, so picking out individuals can be a little harsh. However, in both of the dead balls goals the Gunners have conceded across their past two matches, the man marking the goalscorer has been Martin Odegaard.
The Norwegian has been a talismanic leader for Arsenal this season, and arguably the best player in the Premier League. Even he though would admit that marking at set pieces isn't necessarily his strong suit.
The goal Arsenal conceded against Manchester United from a set piece can largely be cast aside as bad luck. Yes, Odegaard is marking the eventual goalscorer Lisandro Martinez, but you can't really legislate for Aaron Ramsdale to drop the ball after an unfortunate collision with Takehiro Tomiyasu. Against Everton though more of a pattern emerged.
The Toffees looked to hit Arsenal with deep floated corners that targeted the back stick. Arsenal have a mixture of zonal and man marking in these situations. In the instance below from early on in the game William Saliba marshals the area at the far post, while Odegaard is one of the players tasked with picking up the runners from deep. In this case he's marking James Tarkowski.
On this occasion, Arsenal get away with it. Tarkowski beats Odegaard in the air, but his goalbound header deflects off the foot of the falling Saliba and away for another corner.
It's a warning for the Gunners, but from the resulting corner they find themselves dealing with a similar problem again. Saliba is once more marshalling the back post space, and this time Odegaard is tasked with blocking Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
Calvert-Lewin bullies Odegaard out the way. He is only prevented from a simple header at goal by a superb defensive clearance from Saliba while Odegaard watches on from the floor.
From the corner Everton get after that move - their fourth in a short spell - they decide to go to the short post and Arsenal are able to clear. At the back post Odegaard has once again lost his man, who on this occasion is Amadou Onana. Had the ball gone deep again, the Belgian would have been free for a header in the six-yard box.
Arsenal survive this bombardment, but come the second half they will pay the price for not having learned their lesson. Just before the hour mark, Everton get a corner, and this time they decide to go for the old favourite tactic of a deep delivery. Waiting at the back post once again is Saliba marking the space, and Odegaard marking the eventual goalscorer Tarkowski.
This time though Saliba is not able bail Odegaard out. He jumps too early and agonisingly misses making contact with the ball in order to divert it away from Tarkowski. Having outmuscled Odegaard yet again, the England international has the simple task of nodding home inside the six-yard box. It was a blow that would prove fatal to Arsenal on the day, and they cannot argue that it hadn't been coming.
As we've already mentioned set pieces have been a massive plus for Arsenal this season. Nicolas Jover has done a tremendous job, and what was once a position of weakness is now an area of strength.
Everton though were able to uncover a chink in the Gunners' seemingly impenetrable armour. Arsenal host Brentford this Saturday and Thomas Frank's side have a few big men of their own capable of capitalising on this vulnerability. As they seek to keep the gap to Manchester City at five points, it's surely something they'll be working to fix on the training ground at London Colney.
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