Arsenal Appoint Niche Coach Who Helped Liverpool Win Premier League

Current table-toppers Arsenal have now appointed the same niche coach who helped Liverpool win the Premier League title, as they pursue a first league crown since the 2003/04 campaign. The Gunners are currently six points clear of Manchester City, but will be well aware of their history of late-season collapses and know better than to count their chickens too early.

A recent goalless draw at home to a depleted Liverpool threatened to derail their momentum, but their unbeaten run across all competitions now stands at eight matches following a defeat to Aston Villa in December. As things stand, the north Londoners appear on course to cruise towards their first major honour in front of a crowd under Mikel Arteta, whose only previous silverware came via the FA Cup in 2020.

However, marginal gains and a refusal to settle for what they have already achieved have become hallmarks of Arteta’s incremental progress at the Emirates Stadium, and the club have added another string to their bow in an effort to tighten their grip on English football even further. It comes as little surprise that the Spaniard is once again turning his attention to set-pieces as he seeks new ways to push his side to the next level.

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Arsenal Turn to Throw-In Specialist Thomas Gronnemark

Arsenal have turned to the world’s leading throw-in coach, Thomas Gronnemark, in a further effort to weaponise set-pieces and exploit marginal gains in their push to win the Premier League, according to The Times. The Dane, who helped Liverpool become champions during a trophy-laden stint under Jurgen Klopp, has been working with Arsenal as a consultant, visiting the club’s training ground to share his knowledge and techniques.

During his playing days, Gronnemark once held the world record for the longest throw-in (51.33 metres, set in 2010). Since pioneering specialist throw-in coaching two decades ago, however, he has developed a far more complex methodology, in which long throws are just one tool. Teams are also taught how to use throw-ins to retain possession and initiate attacks.

He has consulted for Brentford, Borussia Dortmund, Ajax, FC Midtjylland, Union Saint-Gilloise and JEF United in Japan, and in 2018 was invited by Klopp to join Liverpool’s staff. It was at Anfield that his work had a lasting impact: in his first season, Liverpool jumped from 18th in the Premier League for possession retention after throw-ins to first.

They went on to win the Champions League that campaign and secured their first league title in 30 years the following season, with Andy Robertson’s throwing distance increasing from 19 metres to 27 metres.

Arsenal’s Set-piece Prowess

Arteta’s side are already the Premier League’s most prolific scorers from set-pieces, converting 12 goals from corner kicks in the 2025–26 campaign thanks in large part to the work of set-piece coach Nicolas Jover. Now, in a season where long throw-ins have made a resurgence and goals originating from throws have spiked, they are targeting dominance in that area as well.

There is a balance to be struck, and the Gunners must avoid becoming overly reliant on dead-ball situations to win matches. However, Arteta’s faith in the game’s so-called dark arts is paying off indisputably so far this term, and the ability to use throw-ins to consistently find targets in the box is only likely to make Arsenal an even more daunting prospect.