ARSENAL’S set-piece coach Nicolas Jover now has his very own MURAL outside the Emirates.
But fans have torn it to shreds after an artist painted the black and white canvas ahead of Monaco’s Champions League visit on Wednesday.
4
4
The new mural, in the Hornsey Road tunnel, right out the Emirates, has ironically been hand painted on the CORNER of the old brick wall.
A smiling Jover, 43, sits next to the quarter-circle of a lined corner marking on a pitch, sporting his Arsenal coaching kit.
A video shows a man carefully painting the portrait design today as fans walked past.
Arsenal’s prowess from set-pieces is often credited to Javer, with former Manchester United and Spurs star Dimitar Berbatov calling the Gunners the ‘new Stoke City‘.
And Javer has now been celebrated in the same way as the stars on the pitch.
He shares the historic tunnel with Mikel Arteta, Declan Rice, David Raya and William Saliba, who also boast their own artwork.
And it’s not hard to see why – ever since Jover joined in 2021, Arsenal have scored more goals from corners than any other Premier League club.
The Gunners’ corner tactics have become one of the unlikely talking points of the club’s season and Jover is the man responsible.
FOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS
Arteta’s side netted their Prem-leading eighth dead-ball goal of the season in disappointing 1-1 draw at Fulham on Sunday.
Their total of 48 means they are averaging one goal from every 16.4 corners (six per cent).
Arsenal have now scored 23 GOALS from either corner post since the start of last season – eight more than any another side.
German-born French coach Javer is never far from the celebrations whenever the North Londoners convert another set-piece.
Old Trafford legend Gary Neville personally branded Jover “the most annoying bloke in football“.
Fans, including some Gooners, have wasted no time in mocking the gesture.
One wrote: “Utter woke nonsense games gone what happened to the Arsenal I love?”
Utter woke nonsense, games gone, what happened to the Arsenal I love?
Arsenal fan
While another said: “Probably one of the most embarrassing things I’ve seen in football, so it checks out that it’s Arsenal that have done it.”
Another added: “That is the most arsenal thing I’ve ever seen. This is just tragic .
A fourth replied: “This is why everyone laughs at Arsenal fans.”
A fifth said: “Small club mentality.”
One more wrote: “Arsenal fans have the most tin pot fans in England, they’ll never learn!”
Club legend David Seaman also revealed that a banner has been holstered at Arsenal’s London Colney training base.
He said on the Seaman Says podcast, brought to you by Betway: “There’s a massive slogan on the wall – ‘set pieces win games’.
“And they’re showing you that, the amount of prep that goes into that.”
How to stop Arsenal at corners
Arsenal have turned into a prolific team when it comes to scoring from corners.
The Gunners have now scored 22 goals from them since the start of last season – seven more than their nearest rival Manchester City and eight more than Premier League leaders Liverpool.
Two of them came against Manchester United – Jurrien Timber and William Saliba netting in the second half to earn Mikel Arteta’s men a vital win as they chase down Arne Slot’s Reds.
Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka were the architects with their deliveries, and each now have seven set-piece assists since the start of the 2023/24 campaign – more than any other player.
United legend Dimitar Berbatov joked Arsenal are the new Stoke City of the top flight – a side under Tony Pulis who terrorised the so-called “bigger clubs” with set-piece mastery.
