"We will improve there and we know how important they are in big matches," said Mikel Arteta when asked about Arsenal conceding from a set piece against Tottenham last season.
And he was right. Arsenal have improved defensively from set pieces this season and they've allowed fewer shots on target against them from set pieces than any other team in the Premier League.
That improvement in organisation can be credited to Mikel Arteta and the introduction of set piece specialist Andreas Georgson from Brentford.
However, their attacking threat from set pieces has been limited and while Arteta prefers to play a blend of attacking football, keeping the ball on the ground, the Gunners rarely threaten from attacking set pieces.
After the four consecutive defeats at the start of December there won't be too many complaints about keeping tight at the back, but Arsenal should be beating Crystal Palace and Arteta will be frustrated with the lack of penetration of his side from set pieces in particular.
One player whose presence was clearly missing from the stalemate in north London was left-back Kieran Tierney, who has three assists and three clean sheets in his last four games for the club.
Tierney has become accustomed to the Premier League after returning from injury towards the back end of last season and both he and Hector Bellerin leads Arsenal for shot assists. The Scot created six chances against Newcastle, more than any other player on the pitch and his importance to the team cannot be underestimated.
His understanding with Bukayo Saka down the left flank has been vital for Arsenal in recent games and is one of the main reasons they've overcome tough opponents who tend to sit deep against the Gunners.
During the awful run of form last month Tierney was the only player alongside Rob Holding who fronted up to the media and apologised for the dismal performances that his team were putting in.
He's not the only important members of the squad, though. Gabriel Martinelli was missing against Palace and his infectious enthusiasm, direct running and energy has helped Arsenal in their recent victories.
Arsenal will be hoping to have both players for their next Premier League encounter against Newcastle with their importance to the team underlined during the disappointing draw in north London.
