Why corners are on course for record success

Premier League teams have never been so dangerous at corner-kicks. After 199 top-flight matches this season, 87 goals had been scored from them.

This puts us on course to have 166 goals from corners in 2022/23, a figure way ahead of the current record of 151, set in 2010/11.

With an increase of 2.2 per cent from last season, an impressive 15.3 per cent of all goals scored this campaign have come from corners.

Seasons with highest % of corner goals

This increased productivity could be put down to fresh ideas supplied by the many set-piece specialist coaches now employed by clubs.

Some managers are more inclined than others to delegate this area, but a set-play expert can perhaps devote extra time to identifying weaknesses in the defensive set-ups of opponents.

In addition, they are usually armed with huge banks of knowledge and an array of varied routines and data.

This renewed focus, coupled with time spent working on plans with the players, seems to be helping many clubs earn those precious advantages of a fine margin.

Inswinging increase

Dangerous inswinging corners have been prevalent this season. For 15 of the 20 Premier League clubs, such corners have been the majority choice in 2022/23, with Arsenal (95 per cent) and Tottenham Hotspur (77 per cent) among the most loyal proponents.

Arsenal, who have had a huge uplift in goals scored from corners since set-piece coach Nicolas Jover joined at the start of 2021/22, have attempted just four outswingers from a total of 108 corners.

From the right-hand side, they have not attempted a single one.

Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool are the team practising the most outswinging corners in the division.

They have enjoyed wonderful success from set-pieces in recent seasons and have opted to stick with their tried-and-trusted routines.

Simple outswingers aimed towards an onrushing attacker remain their best bet, with Virgil van Dijk and Roberto Firmino regular targets.

Most shots from corners 2022/23

At Spurs, Antonio Conte brought Gianni Vio in last summer to specialise in this area and the Italian likes his players to crowd the six-yard box, especially at the front post.

Their most profitable tactical ploy has been to load that area with bodies, so they can isolate Harry Kane in a 1v1 at the far post.

Against opponents who opt mainly for man-marking set-ups, this has been especially fruitful with near-post flick-ons reaching Kane.

This is a reminder of how Conte’s side scored the only goal at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers back in August.

Their plan was to produce a flick-on from in front of Wolves’ first near-post zonal marker, for Kane to attack at the empty space at the far post.

Spurs' movement was all purposely directed towards the front post, dragging a clutch of defenders with them.

Ivan Perisic stole in front to nod the ball on for Kane, who escaped his marker’s attentions to score from two yards out.

At home to Newcastle United, Conte’s side came up with a very similar ploy, and the outcome was just as successful.

On this occasion, they found space between the visitors’ near-post zonal marker and the next-closest team-mate.

From a floating position around the goalkeeper, Clement Lenglet made a clever late run into that pocket, along with several other Spurs players.

Drawing almost the entire Newcastle defence towards the near post, one simple Lenglet flick was rewarded when Kane anticipated its flight to score from close range at the back post.

Leaving that area empty has worked for Spurs on several occasions this term, with half their corner-kick strikes coming from this part of the box.

Fulham the corner kings

Fulham have also scored 10 goals from corners this season. Statistically, they are the team who rely most on these situations for goals.

Almost a third of their goals in 2022/23 have stemmed from such well-worked routines.

Teams with highest % of corner goals 22/23

It is interesting to note that Fulham do not employ a set-piece specialist.

Head coach Marco Silva works on plans himself, alongside assistants Luis Boa Morte, Goncalo Pedro and Stuart Gray.

Compared with some of their rivals, Fulham do not have an expansive array of corner-kick routines, but they have found a formula that works well for them.

They are another side who like to crowd the near-post area.

Joao Palhinha scored at the far post from a near post flick-on against Southampton, while Issa Diop and Aleksandar Mitrovic attacked the front post to score against AFC Bournemouth and Leeds United respectively.

Creating space

Fulham have also mastered the art of creating space for the man on the edge of the box.

They flood the box with players who want to attack the cross, forcing rivals to use nine defenders plus the 'keeper and they push them back as soon as the corner-taker runs up to the ball.

By stationing another player on the left side of the area, they draw the only other marker away, leaving a spare man free just outside the D.

On the screenshot (below) Harrison Reed drilled home a volley unmarked from an Emiliano Martinez punched clearance against Aston Villa.

And in their recent 2-1 success against Southampton, a near identical set-up led to five white shirts making a run towards goal, freeing up Andreas Pereira to attack Willian’s expertly drilled corner from inside the area.

It was an intelligent decoy tactic and Pereira’s shot deflected off James Ward-Prowse for a well-worked goal. 

Arsenal’s experimentation

In recent weeks, Arsenal have tried out some unusual short-corner overload routines.

Their first goal in a 3-2 win at home to Manchester United came from the second attempt at a well-crafted 4v3 down the left, instigated by Granit Xhaka leaving his post inside the six-yard box.

As shown in the storyboard below, Xhaka and William Saliba start in a very advanced position before retreating as soon as the short corner is taken.

Saliba links up with team-mates as part of the second phase, while Xhaka gradually works his way to the left wing, where he is eventually left unmarked thanks to a 4v3 that Arsenal deliberately create.

From Xhaka’s precision cross Eddie Nketiah scored with a header at the far post.

It was an unorthodox way for Arsenal to free up a spare man, but this pattern of play did leave Man Utd flummoxed.

Can this standard be maintained?

It will be fascinating to see how teams approach corner-kicks during the second half of the season.

Have coaches got even more smart plans up their sleeve that remain untried? Or will their imagination run dry, handing the initiative back to the defending sides?

With so many goals being leaked it may also be a natural progression for set-piece coaches to spend extra time and focus on defending corners in the months to come.  

To continue with this momentum and break a Premier League record for the most corners scored in a single campaign, it feels as if plenty more time and planning will need to take place on the training grounds.

Also in this series

Part 1: Lee Grant on transitioning from a goalkeeper to a coach
Part 2: Aaron Danks: Understanding your players is invaluable
Part 3: Why big forwards are back in fashion