Arsenal set-piece coach bonus revealed as Gunners become more dangerous

Arsenal set-piece coach Nicolas Jover is reportedly receiving a specific bonus payment every time Mikel Arteta’s side finds the back of the net from a set-piece situation.

The Gunners have become famous for their set-piece strategy this season and despite backlash from fans, Arsenal are not looking at changing their tactics anytime soon.

Mikel Arteta’s team continued their dominance at the summit of the Premier League table on Sunday with a 2-1 victory over Chelsea. Two goals against their London rival means Arsenal have now eached 16 goals from corners in the Premier League this campaign.

Jover who masterminds this tactics is now reported to have a unique incentive written into his contract.

Nicolas Jover, Set Piece Coach of Arsenal reacts during a Premier League match. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

According to The Athletic, the deal was part of a wider coaching staff renewal project led by managing director Richard Garlick and interim sporting director Jason Ayto.

When Arteta penned his own extension in 2024, the club moved to secure his trusted lieutenants, with Jover, assistant Albert Stuivenberg, and goalkeeping coach Inaki Cana all signing deals that run until 2027.

Jover, who arrived from Manchester City in July 2021, reportedly held a position of significant strength during negotiations due to growing interest from rival clubs. Ultimately, the agreement ensured that his expertise would be directly reflected in his pay packet, creating a win-win scenario for both the coach and the club.

Arsenal’s 16 goals from corners in the Premier League this campaign equals the record for the most corner-kick goals by any side in a single campaign, matching the hauls of Oldham Athletic in 1992-93, West Brom in 2016-17, and Arsenal’s own tally from the 2023-24 season, according to Opta.

With nine games still remaining, Jover looks certain to trigger several more of those lucrative bonus payments before May.

Furthermore, the victory over Chelsea marked the ninth time this season that Arsenal have netted a match-winning goal via a corner, officially surpassing the previous record of eight set by Manchester United during their 2012-13 title-winning campaign under Sir Alex Ferguson.

Arsenal have also open scoring from a corner on nine separate occasions this term – matching a Premier League record set by Southampton in 1994-95.