World Cup 2026: England head coach Thomas Tuchel to target set-piece success, leaning on Arsenal playbook

Arsenal are set-piece masters, and no club supplied more players for England’s World Cup squad than the Gunners. So it is understandable that Thomas Tuchel will look to play to the Premier League champions’ strengths.

Here in the United States, Mikel Arteta’s dedication to perfecting Arsenal’s routines is an approach England head coach Tuchel is looking to replicate.

In a tournament environment, when the margins can be so small, Tuchel is keen to take a leaf out of the Arsenal playbook that he admires, and has impressed on his players the importance of exploiting dead-ball situations.

Arsenal landed their first Premier League title in 22 years in May and were within a penalty shootout of winning their first Champions League.

With that level of success in mind, it is entirely understandable that set-pieces have emerged as a key focus in training sessions since England’s arrival in the USA.

There are certainly experts in the field among Tuchel’s likely starters.

Declan Rice is one of the most adept ball strikers in European football – his corners have proved a major threat for Arsenal, certainly in the previous two seasons.

You can expect Rice, who is guaranteed to start at the World Cup, to be one of England’s designated specialists.

Chelsea’s Reece James, who is expected to start the tournament as England’s first-choice right-back, is another likely to be high on the list of Tuchel’s takers.

The England boss knows all about James’ abilities, having coached the defender during his time in charge of Chelsea.

Bukayo Saka’s dead-ball prowess is also viewed as a major asset by Tuchel, even if there is concern inside the England camp about having to manage the Arsenal attacker through the start of the tournament with his ongoing tendonitis complaint.

The physical make-up of England’s squad adds to the set-piece threat.

From the 10 outfield players that started against Costa Rica on Wednesday, just two – James and Elliot Anderson – are under 6ft tall.