Tuchel adopts Arsenal's set-piece strategy for England

Thomas Tuchel, the England head coach, is incorporating set-piece strategies inspired by Arsenal's success as he prepares his squad for the World Cup. Arsenal, who won their first Premier League title in 22 years in May and reached the Champions League final, supplied more players to England's World Cup squad than any other club. Tuchel aims to replicate Mikel Arteta's meticulous approach to set-pieces, recognizing that in a tournament environment, small margins can be decisive.

Set-piece focus in training

Since England's arrival in the United States, set-pieces have become a key focus in training sessions. Tuchel has emphasized the importance of exploiting dead-ball situations, drawing on the expertise of players like Declan Rice, Reece James, and Bukayo Saka. Rice, a guaranteed starter, is one of the most adept ball strikers in European football, and his corners have been a major threat for Arsenal over the past two seasons. James, expected to start as England's first-choice right-back, is another designated specialist, having worked under Tuchel at Chelsea. Saka's dead-ball prowess is also valued, though the England camp is managing his ongoing tendonitis complaint.

Physical advantages and tactical adjustments

England's squad boasts significant height, with only two of the 10 outfield players who started against Costa Rica—Reece James and Elliot Anderson—standing under 6 feet tall. This physical makeup enhances the set-piece threat. In recent friendlies against Costa Rica and New Zealand, England employed blocking tactics to free up players for headers. However, a rule change now allows VAR to disallow goals if blocking fouls occur before the ball is in play, requiring more subtlety. England has adapted by having players move toward the goal and duel naturally with markers before playing outswinging corners into space. This approach led to unmarked headers from John Stones and Dan Burn against New Zealand. Another tactic involves positioning blockers behind markers and delivering crosses to the back post, where opponents cannot contest the free player.

Tuchel's commitment to set-piece success

In a news conference following England's squad announcement, Tuchel stated, "We have specialists with us for all different scenarios. We always said we want to be a strong set-piece team so we have specialists for that." His selection and the team's performances in pre-World Cup games indicate a clear intention to borrow from the Premier League's success in prioritizing set-plays, where inswinging crosses, crowding the goalkeeper, and blocking have led to increased goals. As England prepares for the tournament, set-pieces could prove decisive in tight matches.