Set-Pieces Dominate Premier League Goal Scoring Trends
Nine rounds into the Premier League season, set-piece scoring has emerged as a significant trend.
With free-kicks, long throws, and corners becoming increasingly effective, Arsenal currently leads the league by four points, despite having scored only five goals from open play.
As the number of goals from set-pieces, particularly corners, has surged, BBC Sport explores whether this trend will continue.
Cornering the Market
Not long ago, scoring from free-kicks or corners was often associated with underdog teams utilizing these tactics to challenge more established opponents, especially in adverse weather conditions. However, this perception has shifted dramatically.
Now, strategies that were once considered last-resort options for weaker teams have become essential tactics for leading clubs in the Premier League.
This season, a record 19% of all Premier League goals—45 out of 241—have been scored from corners, marking the highest proportion in the league's history.
A total of 67 goals have been scored from set-pieces (excluding penalties), accounting for 27.8% of goals, the second highest rate in Premier League history and a notable increase compared to previous seasons.
Arsenal, under the guidance of manager Mikel Arteta, has been at the forefront of this tactical evolution, netting an impressive nine goals from set-pieces (excluding penalties) this season.
The Gunners, who hired set-piece coach Nicolas Jover four years ago, have been particularly effective from corners, scoring 37 goals from such situations since the beginning of the 2023-24 season—at least 11 more than any other team in Europe’s top five leagues.
'You Have to Find Ways to Score'
Arteta attributes the rise in set-piece goals to advancements in coaching, tactical setups, and player conditioning, which have made scoring from open play more challenging.
After a 1-0 victory against Crystal Palace at the Emirates Stadium, where Eberechi Eze scored from a set-piece, Arteta remarked, “We are noticing a shift. As physicality increases, the methods implemented become more efficient, making it harder to create space and play the game.”
“You have to find ways to score in different ways, and that’s what everyone is trying to do,” he added.
Other teams are clearly focusing more on set-piece scoring, particularly from corners, as evidenced by a significant rise in goals from corners across Europe’s major leagues compared to last season.
Among top European leagues, the Premier League has recorded the highest share of goals from corners over the past two seasons. Following Tottenham’s 3-0 win against Everton, where Micky van de Ven scored the first two goals from corners, Tottenham head coach Thomas Frank stated, “Set-pieces are crucial. Right now, Arsenal is on track for the title through set-pieces.”
Throwback Tactics
Focusing on corners isn’t the only tactical revival in the Premier League. The long throw, popularized by former Stoke City defender Rory Delap between 2008 and 2012, has also seen a resurgence.
Brentford, under former set-piece coach Keith Andrews, has effectively utilized long throws this season, particularly through defender Michael Kayode. His long throws have proven to be a potent weapon, contributing to Dango Ouattara’s opening goal in a 3-2 win against Liverpool—one of eight league goals the Bees have scored from throw-ins since last season.
Liverpool manager Arne Slot acknowledged Brentford’s effectiveness, stating, “They’re a very good team in winning duels and second balls, and you have to give them credit for that. It’s also challenging to win a football match if the set-piece balance is against you.”
After Manchester City secured a 1-0 win at Gtech Community Stadium last month, match-winner Erling Haaland remarked, “It was a tough game and reminded me of Stoke City with Rory Delap 15 years ago.”
Are Set-Pieces Here to Stay?
With Arsenal and Spurs currently occupying the first and third positions in the Premier League, and also leading in set-piece goals (excluding penalties), the effectiveness of this tactic is evident.
In contrast, Liverpool is among three Premier League teams yet to score from a corner or indirect free-kick this season and has faced defensive challenges. The defending champions are on a four-game losing streak in the league, having conceded six goals from set-pieces—only bottom-three clubs West Ham and Nottingham Forest have conceded more.
Following a 2-1 defeat to Crystal Palace last month, where Liverpool conceded late from a throw-in, Slot acknowledged the need for improvement, stating, “We definitely have to improve because I see teams in the Premier League winning games through set-pieces, and we are losing games because of them.”
Liverpool has since lost three more matches, conceding late goals from a corner against Manchester United and from a throw-in against Brentford. Regardless of opinions on set-pieces, they could prove crucial at both ends of the table as the season progresses.