Arsenal 1-0 Chelsea: The Blues adopt the tactic of today’s match to stop the threat of fixed play

How to stop Arsenal Cause chaos from free kicks?

It’s a question everyone always asks, but few find an answer to.

The Gunners have been Europe’s leading force in scoring goals from set-pieces over the past two seasons, and this has been a formidable tactic that, for many, has proven impossible to prevent.

Step forward for Liam Rosenior and Chelsea, who tried an innovative approach to stopping them in the second leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final on Tuesday night – just days after former Manchester City and Newcastle goalkeeper Shay Given suggested the same in today’s match.

While he was unable to stop the Gunners’ 1-0 win – and 4-2 overall success – to book their place in the EFL Cup final, it may have at least given the rivals some food for thought.

As Arsenal were about to kick corner kicks, Chelsea sent three players running from defense to attack – forcing the hosts to react quickly and bring the players back themselves.

Monaco and Crystal Palace have also left players to Arsenal’s free kicks before – but no team has attempted such a late attempt to force Mikel Arteta’s men back into their own half.

Maybe they were listening to “Given on Match of the Day” on Saturday night.

After watching Arsenal score from two set-pieces in their 4-0 win over Leeds, he said: “I wish someone would try something different.

“Not to take anything away from Arsenal, but I see the same setup every week – Arsenal players pressing at the back and causing carnage. It’s all the same setup.

“Someone could try something different to stop this great form of attack. What can teams do differently to create more space? If they leave three players, Arsenal have to leave at least three players, and maybe four players at the back.

“Then, in the defensive zone, that leaves a lot more space for the defenders and the goalkeeper. Yes, it leaves more space for the attackers as well, but all those numbers have caused a lot of confusion.”

Since the start of last season, Arteta’s men have scored 53 goals from set-pieces in all competitions – 13 more than anyone else in the Premier League.

And Chelsea’s tactic – although not enough to secure them a place in the UEFA Cup final – at least prevented Arsenal from scoring from a set-piece.

But former Liverpool midfielder Jamie Redknapp was less impressed.

He told Sky Sports: “I like the plan, but my problem is that Enzo Fernandes was left to mark Gabriel and he had 10 yards to attack the ball.

“Chelsea are trying to avoid having heavy traffic in the area, which Arsenal are trying to create chaos with. They obviously have a plan but if Arsenal have the right delivery, Enzo Fernandes will have no chance.”

Will other teams follow suit?