'That's why I decided to bring him', Mikel Arteta praises Arsenal's set-piece Coach after the North England derby.

Mikel Arteta effusively praised Arsenal’s set-piece coach, Nicolas Jover, for instilling unwavering belief in his players after their hard-fought triumph in the north London derby maintained the heat on Premier League leaders Manchester City.

Gabriel Magalhães’s decisive second-half header from a Bukayo Saka corner secured Arsenal's third consecutive victory at their arch-rivals, a feat not accomplished since the 1980s. Arteta's side prevailed despite the absence of the suspended Declan Rice and the injured captain Martin Ødegaard in midfield. Notably, this marked their 17th goal scored from a corner since last season's inception and their 42nd from a set piece since Jover's arrival from City in 2021.

Mikel Arteta's take on the 'set-piece' Coach 

On being asked whether Jover is the best-set piece coach, Arteta praised Jover for being so great not only as a coach but also in person. It was one of the reasons why Arteta chose to bring him to Arsenal. Arteta complimented the supporting staff for instilling self-belief in the players to win matches day in and day out.

“In his field, in other fields and as a person. And the relationship that we have – that’s why I decided to bring him to City when I was there and then to Arsenal," Arteta said in a post-match interview.

“He and the rest of the staff have injected the belief to the plains that there are many ways to win football matches. This is a powerful one and he has given us a lot. So a big ­compliment to all of them,” Arteta added.

Showdown at Etihad Next Week

Arsenal's victory sets the stage for an exciting showdown at the Etihad Stadium next weekend, with the team now trailing the champions by just two points. Before that match, they will kick off their Champions League campaign in Italy against Atalanta on Thursday. Arteta mentioned that he's awaiting updates on Ødegaard’s ankle injury and Saka's injury, as Saka was replaced late in the game after getting injured.

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