After three defeats on the spin, there was plenty for Arsenal to work on during their warm-weather training camp in Dubai.

A two-week winter break has given Mikel Arteta’s squad a much-needed chance to recharge, and they returned home late on Tuesday night after eight useful days in the Middle East.

The break in the calendar has allowed Arsenal to address some of the issues that have derailed their season — and set-pieces is a key area where they must get back on track.

Arsenal have scored 11 goals from attacking set-pieces in the Premier League this season, the joint-most along with Everton. They conceded just one goal from corners in their first 14 Premier League games but have since shipped four in the past six matches.

Fatigue has played a part in that drop-off, which was underlined by the way Konstantinos Mavropanos lost Oleksandr Zinchenko to power home a header during Arsenal’s 2-0 defeat by West Ham. The Gunners also conceded a scrappy goal from a corner in their 2-1 loss at Fulham.

Arteta knows his side need to stop the rot if they are to get their title bid back on track, starting with Saturday’s visit of Crystal Palace.

Able to intensify their training sessions in a sunnier climate, Arsenal worked on both their attacking and defensive set-piece routines in Dubai.

The man leading sessions on corners and free-kicks is set-piece coach Nicolas Jover, who helped make Arsenal one of the best set-piece teams in the Premier League before their recent drop-off. Jover has worked wonders since joining Arsenal in 2021.

Arteta worked with him at Manchester City and jumped at the chance to be reunited with the German-born Frenchman, who has also worked at Montpellier and Brentford.

The pair share many characteristics, in particular a relentless work ethic and an obsession for detail. Jover likes to keep sessions short (ideally 10 to 15 minutes long) to ensure he has players’ attention.

His instructions are clear and simple, while Arsenal have even sometimes erected a giant screen at the side of the training pitch to play clips on. Set-pieces are built up in the week leading up to games “like a jigsaw”.

First the takers practise what delivery is wanted, then the attackers are added and finally the defenders join in.

“It was building a piece of the jigsaw before moving onto the next piece,” says Luton set-piece coach Alan McCormack, who played under Jover at Brentford. “Finally, you had this finished jigsaw come Saturday.”

Jover’s communication is key to his methods. He often speaks to players over breakfast or hands them notes on the walk to a session, utilising as much time as possible.

He spends time working on the delivery of a set-piece, but a crucial part of his work also focuses on teaching players to anticipate the second ball. Arsenal have seen the benefit, as shown by Gabriel Jesus heading in at the back post against Brighton after a defender had flicked the ball clear to him.

In the same game, there was evidence of Jover’s use of “confusion tactics”. Ben White looked like he could not find a pass from a free-kick and Martin Odegaard wandered over for a chat, only to quickly spin and play in a team-mate.

Jover has spoken about his dream of football having “a recognisable style of set-pieces, just like a playing style”, but crucial to his work is adapting to the opponents. For that, he is supported by a huge team of analysts who give him information during matches.

Montpellier sporting co-ordinator Philippe Delaye says: “When he speaks about his work, everybody follows him. The players liked speaking with him, because in only a few words they understood what he wanted.”

Arteta will hope Jover’s message has got across to the Arsenal players, who should be refreshed after a break as they bid to get their season back on track.

Despite a recent blip, the Gunners still have plenty to play for this season. They are only five points behind leaders Liverpool and have a very winnable Champions League last-16 tie against Porto.

Palace should be good opponents when it comes to rebuilding their set-piece routines. The Eagles have scored just one goal from set-pieces in the Premier League all season, the fewest of any team.

Whether Arsenal can again become one of the most efficient sides from set-pieces could go a long way to determining how close they go to the title.