Arsenal new coach confirmed as ex-Liverpool man joins Mikel Arteta’s team

Mikel Arteta’s coaching staff has been bolstered as the manager looks to maintain the club’s lead at the top of the Premier League table.

Throw-in coach Thomas Gronnemark has confirmed he is working with Arsenal as Mikel Arteta looks to bolster his team’s title hopes.

Reports in the last week claimed that the Gunners had turned to Gronnemark to help make the most of throw-ins. The throw-in specialist has previously worked with several other clubs, including Brentford, Borussia Dortmund, Ajax and Liverpool.

The 50-year-old has now taken to social media to confirm he is working with Arsenal. “It’s out. Yes, I coach Arsenal,” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

“Both in the “Long, Fast and Clever throw-in. No more comments at the moment.” He added a picture outside of Arsenal’s Sobha Reality Training Centre.

A lot has been made of Arsenal’s success from set-pieces under Arteta over the last few seasons. Set-piece coach Nicolas Jover has been praised for his work with the team and is a key member of Arteta’s backroom staff.

Arsenal have scored a league high 14 goals from set-pieces so far this season. It’s a number they will hope to add a lot more to between now and the end of the campaign.

Gronnemark will now hope to have a similar impact as Jover as Arsenal look to gain any advantage that they can in maintaining, and even expanding their lead at the top of the Premier League table. Arteta’s side are currently six points ahead of nearest rivals Manchester City.

Following the midweek Carabao Cup semi-final first leg against Chelsea on Wednesday, Arsenal are back in league action on Saturday when they travel to take on Nottingham Forest at the City Ground.

Gronnemark has previously had an impact with a club looking to secure a Premier League title. In 2018, he took a role in helping Liverpool under Jurgen Klopp. He helped the team to lift the title in the 2019/20 season.

Speaking about how his appointment at Liverpool came about, he revealed: “I was totally in shock when Jurgen called me.

“I was visiting a chocolate shop with my family; I saw the +44 and thought it was an English guy trying to sell me pens. I listened to the voicemail and it was a message from Jurgen. I tried to call him back, but he didn’t pick up.

“My heart was just pounding… I took the call on my way home in the car, where I drove directly into a grass field when he called.

“He told me that he was sitting in a beach chair, reading the German newspaper Bild while on vacation in Tenerife, and he came across an article about me… he had never heard of a throw-in coach before.”