‘Crazy’: Gary Neville claims one Arsenal man was absolutely furious with Leandro Trossard yesterday

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Gary Neville claims Arsenal set-piece coach Nicolas Jover was absolutely furious with Leandro Trossard yesterday.

Arsenal fell to a disappointing 1-0 defeat at St James’ Park after a controversial Anthony Gordon goal.

Mikel Arteta made his feelings clear after the game as he labelled the decision to award Gordon’s goal a ‘disgrace’.

Despite the fallout over the winner, Arsenal struggled to create clear-cut opportunities on the day and Arteta will undoubtedly be disappointed with his side’s attacking display.

The Gunners usually excel in set-piece situations and they netted the most goals from corners last season.

But they struggled to make their corners count at St James’ Park yesterday, with Leandro Trossard regularly failing to beat the first man. 

And Gary Neville claims Arsenal’s set-piece coach was screaming at the Belgian on the touchline. 

Neville claims Arsenal’s set-piece coach was furious at Trossard yesterday

Speaking on the Gary Neville Podcast, the Manchester United legend admitted that Trossard’s corners were driving him ‘crazy’ on Saturday evening. 

But Neville feels Arsenal’s set-piece coach, Nicolas Jover, wasn’t helping Trossard by screaming at him from the touchline.

“It was driving me crazy,” the pundit said. “The set-piece coach down here, he was doing my head in as well.

“He was screaming on like crazy like he was the manager. I am not sure that helps. He is screaming at Trossard, who is taking the set-pieces.

“Sit down. He knows what to do. You have gone through it in the week. It’s up on the board in the dressing room before the game. And you have told him three or four times.

“For me, it felt like he was putting more pressure on Trossard taking the corners, which, to be fair, Trossard didn’t handle because his corners were appalling.

“They were really chances in a game that’s so tight. Set-pieces, no one needs to tell Mikel Arteta or any of the coaches in the league, but they are the vital moments. And Arsenal are good on corners. They have a good record.

“I just felt he was being screamed at down this near side by the set-piece coach. To be fair, he was probably putting pressure on him unnecessarily.

“You want to take a set-piece or a dead ball, you want to be relaxed – I don’t think that helped.”

Trossard has performed well for Arsenal ever since joining from Brighton for a fee worth £27 million in January. 

But the 28-year-old didn’t enjoy his best evening in Tyneside last night and his delivery from dead-ball situations simply wasn’t good enough.

Arsenal have excelled at creating opportunities from corners and in tight games like yesterday’s clash, they often prove to be vital.

Nevertheless, the Gunners weren’t at their best going forward against Newcastle and while Trossard’s corners were below par, the defeat rested on much more than just his delivery from set-piece situations.