Set pieces have enjoyed a renaissance in recent years. While set play goals have always, and will always, be regular occurrences in football, they have suffere
Set pieces have enjoyed a renaissance in recent years.
While set play goals have always, and will always, be regular occurrences in football, they have suffered from some negative PR despite their undebatable significance.
Associated with Sean Dyche and Sam Allardyce teams pumping the ball into the penalty area at every opportunity as some gangly 6'5 striker launches himself at corner after corner, they had become pretty unfashionable in the tiki-taka era.
However, with set piece coaches now minor celebrities within their own right, social media's tactical hipsters have identified dead ball situations as the new chic.
Here is where each Premier League side ranks in terms of set piece goals for the 2023/24 season - excluding penalties.
Sheffield United can't do much right this season / DARREN STAPLES/GettyImages
Can Oliver Glasner fix Crystal Palace's set piece issues? / Marc Atkins/GettyImages
Kompany was fantastic from set pieces - his Burnley side are not / Sebastian Frej/MB Media/GettyImages
Forest need to work on set plays / Stu Forster/GettyImages
Lewis Dunk is Brighton's major set piece threat / GLYN KIRK/GettyImages
Bournemouth rank low for set piece shots# / Mike Hewitt/GettyImages
Brentford have managed just seven piece goals this season / Visionhaus/GettyImages
West Ham have a reputation to uphold / James Gill/GettyImages
Man Utd have not made the most of set pieces / Malcolm Couzens/GettyImages
Even the class of Willian, Harry Wilson and Andreas Pereira can't save Fulham / ADRIAN DENNIS/GettyImages
Chelsea have been both good and bad from set pieces / Sebastian Frej/MB Media/GettyImages
Van Dijk is Liverpool's ideal target from set plays / Clive Brunskill/GettyImages
Wolves have managed ten set piece goals / David Rogers/GettyImages
Man City are simply good at everything / ADRIAN DENNIS/GettyImages
Tottenham have been ruthless from dead balls / JUSTIN TALLIS/GettyImages
Newcastle have some huge aerial threats / Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/GettyImages
Luton have leant heavily on set plays / Richard Heathcote/GettyImages
Unai Emery has unlocked Aston Villa's set piece potential / Michael Regan/GettyImages
Everton have needed set pieces to score this season / Warren Little/GettyImages
Arsenal's centre-backs have been prolific / Sebastian Frej/MB Media/GettyImages
Team
Set piece xG
Set piece goals
Arsenal
10.83
18
Everton
14.60
15
Aston Villa
9.13
12
Luton Town
9.16
12
Newcastle
9.25
11
Tottenham
7.26
10
Man City
8.64
10
Wolves
8.86
10
Liverpool
10.48
10
Chelsea
6.43
7
Fulham
7.44
7
Man Utd
8.21
7
West Ham
9.86
7
Brentford
11.96
7
Bournemouth
7.95
6
Brighton
8.15
6
Nottingham Forest
7.50
4
Burnley
6.15
3
Crystal Palace
7.59
3
Sheffield United
5.08
2
Data courtesy of Opta - accurate as of 6 March 2024
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