Chelsea fire major warning to Arsenal as ‘rockstar’ coach Austin MacPhee inspires Blues to TWO set-piece goals vs Milan

LOOK OUT Arsenal, there is a new Set Piece FC in town. Chelsea showcased their newest lethal weapon to the world today, scoring twice from corners to stroll to a commanding 3-0 victory over Ruben Amorim’s dismal AC Milan in Jakarta. Chelsea thrived from set-pieces in their victory over AC Milan on Saturday Credit: Reuters New set-piece coach Austin MacPhee is quite clearly making a difference to the Blues’ fortunes Credit: Getty That new weapon comes in the form of their high-profile recruitment from Aston Villa – not Morgan Rogers, but set-piece guru Austin MacPhee. It is no secret the last Premier League season was defined by set-pieces. Sign up for the Football newsletter Thank you! And with Arsenal laying down the blueprint, it turns out improving your coaching staff in that department might genuinely be the smartest, cheapest way to spend your way to the Premier League title. Chelsea’s new long-haired Scot might look like he should be playing drums for a metal band, but he is the latest set-piece rockstar ready to launch Xabi Alonso’s Blues right to the top of the table. Or the set-piece table, at least. The Blues paid an undisclosed release clause to snap him up from Villa after severely struggling to defend dead-ball situations last term. But on today’s evidence, he is already making a staggering difference at the other end of the pitch. It shouldn’t come as a surprise, given Villa fans spent last season chanting “Austin MacPhee, Ole, Ole” after winning the Europa League thanks to a decisive goal carved straight from one of his training-ground routines. Most read in Sport Moises Caicedo and Joao Pedro both scored from set-pieces in Chelsea’s 3-0 win Credit: Getty BEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERS During a chaotic campaign under three different head coaches, Chelsea finished as the eleventh-best team for set-piece goals, scoring eleven fewer than their table-topping London rivals and five fewer than MacPhee’s clever Villa, who ranked third best. If today’s display is anything to go by, those numbers are about to skyrocket. Moises Caicedo was the provider for Joao Pedro’s opener, whipping in a corner that completely bypassed Milan’s front-post ‘blockers’ – a technique used often by MacPhee at Villa last season. The ball landed on the head of the Brazilian striker, who made no mistake by heading firmly into the ground and up into the roof of the net. Pedro tapped in again from close range early in the second half, before another stroke of dead-ball genius sealed the third. This time, MacPhee concocted an entirely different routine from the sideline alongside Alonso. Romeo Lavia lofted a corner directly onto the outside of Caicedo’s right boot, and the midfielder’s terrific volley carried just enough backspin to take one bite on the turf and bend out of reach of Lorenzo Torriani in the Milan goal. Of course, the heavy lifting for MacPhee lies in tightening up the backline. Chelsea lifted the Indonesia Super Cup as a result of the win Credit: Getty Chelsea ticket and hospitality deals GET tickets to see Chelsea home games at Stamford Bridge with these official deals. The packages include optional upgrades to VIP hospitality. ⚽ 30 Aug v Brighton — BOOK HERE ⚽ 12 Sep v Hull — BOOK HERE ⚽ 10 Oct v Bournemouth — BOOK HERE ⚽ 24 Oct v Spurs — BOOK HERE ⚽ 31 Oct v Man United — BOOK HERE More games available here. *If you click on a link in this article, we will earn affiliate revenue. Alonso’s side were barely troubled by Amorim’s toothless side in Indonesia, with Robert Sanchez not being forced into a single save all match, facing just two corners across the entire ninety minutes. Last season, Chelsea ranked a lowly 12th in the top flight for defending set plays. They also conceded eleven more goals from dead balls than Arsenal, and three more than MacPhee’s defensively resolute Villa setup. That is where the most obvious improvement must happen. Fortunately, with Chelsea missing out on European competition this year, MacPhee will enjoy precious extra time on the Cobham training pitch to drill his methods into the squad – far more time than former coach Bernardo Cueva ever had at his disposal. If he does manage to get his methods working at both ends, we could soon be hearing “Set piece again, ole, ole” coming from the south west of London, as opposed to the north. Comment now