Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain are set to face off next week in Matchday 2 of the UEFA Champions League, and the Gunners have a statistic that could worry PSG a bit.
Nonetheless, manager Luis Enrique did not have time to address the issue when asked about it in his postgame following PSG’s 3-1 win over Stade Rennais on Friday night at the Parc des Princes.
WhoScored recently spotlighted on X that Arsenal tops the most Premier League goals scored from set-pieces since the start of last season:
◎ 23 – Arsenal
◎ 21 – Everton
◎ 17 – Aston Villa
◎ 17 – Manchester City
◎ 16 – Newcastle United
This should be a concern for the Parisians considering that the Ligue 1 side does have a habit of conceding goals from set pieces. With the clash against Arsenal on the horizon, Enrique was asked about his team’s ability to defend them against the Gunners next week, but he didn’t offer any insight.
“Are defensive set pieces a concern ahead of Arsenal? Football hasn’t been kind to us tonight,” Enrique told reporters (h/t Canal Supporters). “Rennes barely had any chances, yet they managed to score from a penalty.
“It’s frustrating. Negativity seems to be the norm in journalism surrounding PSG. When you compare the stats to last year, everything’s actually improved. But of course, there are questions about those last ten minutes…”
