Hjulmand Reveals Nicolas Jover’s Pointed Touchline Remark After Leverkusen Use Arsenal’s Own Set-Piece Tactics To Secure Draw

Leverkusen's Kasper Hjulmand details his touchline clash with Nicolas Jover over Arsenal set-piece blocks. Read the 2026 Champions League reaction.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 12, 2026, 6:12 AM EDT

Source: The information in this article was sourced from Football365

The "Block" Debate Ignites at the BayArena

The tactical battle between Bayer Leverkusen and Arsenal took an intriguing turn on Wednesday, centered on the increasingly controversial use of offensive blocks during set-pieces. Leverkusen took the lead shortly after half-time when Robert Andrich headed home from a corner—a goal made possible after Eberechi Eze was strategically blocked from marking the Leverkusen captain. The goal was a mirror image of the routines often employed by Arsenal, sparking a touchline interaction between Leverkusen boss Kasper Hjulmand and Arsenal’s set-piece specialist, Nicolas Jover.

Jover’s Five-Word Response to Tactical Criticism

Prior to the match, Hjulmand had publicly questioned whether "body checking people without the ball" was within the rules of the game. When the two met on the touchline during the match, Hjulmand revealed that Jover simply remarked: “Yeah, you’re doing it also.” Hjulmand admitted to CBS Sports that he didn't deny the claim, noting that while he questions the current interpretation of the rules, his side is equally prepared to utilize the tactic as long as it remains unpunished. He clarified that there was no personal animosity, despite his prior failed attempt to recruit Jover for the Danish national team.

Arteta Frustrated by Lack of Concentration

While Hjulmand was satisfied with his team's execution, Mikel Arteta was uncharacteristically critical of his Arsenal squad. The Gunners' manager revealed that the team had specifically studied Leverkusen’s routines—which they had used three times in a row in recent Bundesliga matches—yet failed to react when they were implemented on the pitch. Arteta lamented a "lack of attention" at the start of the second half, which allowed Leverkusen to seize the momentum. Although Noni Madueke eventually won a late penalty that Kai Havertz converted to rescue a 1-1 draw, Arteta remained pained by the avoidable nature of the opening goal.