Former Arsenal defender Gael Clichy has proposed a new points-based plan to bring an end to the Premier League’s reliance on set pieces and encourage more attractive football. The ex-France international is frustrated with the direction English football has taken but he has stopped short of criticising his old club, who lead the way when it comes to corners.
Free kicks, long throws and corners back in vogue in 2025-26
Free kicks, long throws and corners have all surged in popularity in the 2025-26 Premier League season. Once seen as a sign of weakness for a team to put so much emphasis on being proficient at set pieces, often due to a lack of quality from open play, those very tactics are now widespread across the division, with all 20 clubs getting in on the act.
However, with free kicks, long throws and corners now back in vogue, football fans have become split on whether the new-found dependency is good for the game or a terrible habit which needs to be banished. While some see the set-piece craze as a breath of fresh air, others feel the game has become uglier as a result.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportEx-Gunners ace Clichy proposes plan for more attacking football
Clichy, who spent eight years with Arsenal between 2003 and 2011, is very much a believer that English football has gone backwards, but he reckons he has now come up with a solution which will inspire more teams to play attacking football.
In an interview with he said: “Unless we change the rules to encourage teams to play offensive football (that could become a problem). Say you are losing 4-2 but scoring a third goal in a game counts as 0.5 points. It means you can still get something out of it rather than a team defending, which is counterproductive to the love of the game.
“Every time there is something in place, it is hard to make changes. When you talk about what I just said about 0.5 points or a throw-in becoming a kick-in, people are going to laugh but remember a few decades ago when you could pass the ball back and forth with the goalkeeper (picking the ball up)? The person who proposed (changing that) that probably got laughed at too, because change is uncomfortable.”
Former left-back refuses to criticise Arteta for changing Arsenal's style
Leading the way when it comes to corners are Clichy’s old club Arsenal, who – under the guidance of manager Mikel Arteta and led by the aerial skill of defender Gabriel Magalhaes – strike fear into their opponents every time the ball goes out of play. However, while Clichy believes Arteta has made Arsenal far more physical than they were under former manager Arsene Wenger, he has refused to criticise the Spaniard for changing the club’s style of play.
“Mikel has changed how people see Arsenal,” Clichy continued. “In the Premier League, if you are disrespecting the physicality of the game and the set-play moments, you have a big problem. Mikel has done what he felt was needed for Arsenal to win.
“They are first and you still have people arguing that they don’t play the Arsenal way. It doesn’t make any sense. The Arsenal way is to win trophies. Pretty or not, the fans will be happy.
“We keep on talking about Wenger’s Arsenal playing really good football 20 years later. This is not the same game. It is not the same league. It is not the same generation of players. People who still think Man United need to play with the same DNA of (Sir Alex) Ferguson and are comparing that side to the current one. It is not the coach who is wrong. It is the people who are still comparing these teams.
“If Arsenal win 1-0 with a set piece, then that is all we need to know. We need to accept the coach has a different vision. In the end, you need to win because then pretty much everyone will say it is good enough.”
Getty Images SportArsenal's next match: Arteta's men face Tottenham in north London derby
Arsenal will be hoping to continue their set-piece prowess when the Premier League returns this weekend following the conclusion of the international break. Arteta’s men – who are currently top of the table – play host to Tottenham in the north London derby at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday. Thomas Frank’s Spurs are currently fifth in the standings and eight points (18) behind their fierce rivals (26).