Premier League teams with the most goals from set pieces in 2023/24 - ranked

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 ranked in terms of set-piece goals for the 2023/24 season - excluding penalties.

20. Crystal Palace - 5 goals

Crystal Palace have some big lads in their squad and Oliver Glasner has worked wonders since his arrival, but they have been unable to find too many goals from set pieces - even with the likes of Michael Olise and Eberechi Eze on free kicks.

The Eagles have scored just five times from well over a century of set-piece efforts, with an expected goals tally of 11.14 from dead balls.

19. Burnley - 5 goals

Vincent Kompany's Burnley were been pretty rubbish at everything after returning to the top flight and that includes set pieces.

The Clarets have been dismal in both boxes when it comes to set pieces, netting just five times and conceding on 16 occasions.

18. Sheffield United - 6 goals

Sheffield United's miserable season failed to improve down the stretch and they were the first team to succumb to the drop. There was some improvement from set pieces, though, as they scored four times in the final two months of the season to take their tally up to six.

Set pieces are often crucial for newly promoted teams, levelling the playing field in the final third, but the Yorkshire side were unable to take advantage of such situations.

17. Nottingham Forest - 7 goals

No team conceded more set-piece goals than Forest (22) and they only scored seven themselves.

To put that into context, they conceded just shy of a third of their goals from set pieces, while just 14.2% of their strikes have come from such instances.

16. Brighton - 8 goals

Brighton were revered for their exciting and attacking football under Roberto De Zerbi before things fell flat towards the end of 2023/24, but they were never proficient from set pieces.

The Seagulls have converted just six set pieces this term, with captain and centre-back Lewis Dunk their main threat and midfielder Pascal Gross their key provider.

15. Manchester United - 9 goals

Manchester United ended the season having conceded five more goals from set pieces than they scored.

Even with the concrete head of Harry Maguire, they have only scored nine times from dead balls.

14. Fulham - 10 goals

Fulham have certainly missed the influential Aleksandar Mitrovic since he left the club last summer and his absence at set pieces has made life difficult for the Cottagers.

They scored just ten times from dead balls in 2023/24 - four fewer than they did last season.

13. Brentford - 10 goals

Brentford's tally of ten may be one fewer had referee Darren England spotted Ivan Toney moving the ball moments before planting his free kick into the back of the Nottingham Forest net in January.

Regardless of Toney's 'clever' tactic, the Bees haven't been too sharp at set pieces this campaign, despite often playing with three large centre halves.

Brentford perhaps missed Ethan Pinnock's rocket launcher of a throw-in.

12. Tottenham - 11 goals

Tottenham were one of the best-performing set piece teams last season, but Gianni Vio's summer departure and Ange Postecoglou's refusal to hire a specialist coach saw his team suffer in 2023/24.

Spurs outperformed their set-piece expected goals by almost two, with their actual tally reaching 11, but only five teams conceded more set-piece goals than the Lilywhites.

11. Bournemouth - 11 goals

Bournemouth improved from set pieces down the stretch to take their tally for the season up to 11. However, they underperformed given the chances they were able to create from dead balls. Their set-piece xG was 12.32.

Centre-back Marcos Senesi emerged as the Cherries' chief threat from set plays, while striker Enes Unal proved a nuisance, too.

10. Chelsea - 12 goals

Chelsea scored 12 times from set pieces despite registering a league-low 103 shots from such situations. The Blues were pretty efficient from set plays as they outperformed their 10.50 xG, too.

If only this efficiency had translated over to their work from open play...

9. West Ham United - 13 goals

West Ham have a reputation for being set-piece kings, spearheaded by the aerial monster Tomas Soucek, but it took some time for the Hammers to get going.

David Moyes' side proved wasteful from set plays for much of the season with James Ward-Prowse producing a reliably terrific delivery. However, their conclusion to the campaign was strong, testing Man City on the final day, and they ended with 13 set-piece goals.

8. Liverpool - 14 goals

Liverpool were relatively impressive from corners, free kicks and throw-ins and concluded 2023/24 having matched their xG of 14.00.

Virgil van Dijk remains their greatest threat from dead balls, while full-backs Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson operated as the chief creators.

7. Aston Villa - 14 goals

Logic suggests teams that are good at attacking set pieces should also be adept at defending them, but Aston Villa prove that's not necessarily the case.

The Villans scored 14 goals from dead balls yet they conceded 16 from such situations - the fourth most in the Premier League.

Still, such woes failed to compromise the club's ascent into the Champions League.

6. Newcastle United - 14 goals

Eddie Howe's side improved upon their set-piece performance in 2022/23 by scoring 14 times in 2023/24.

The Magpies have struggled with injuries throughout the season but have always been able to rely on set pieces to save them - even if their proficiency slowed down towards the end of the campaign.

5. Wolves - 14 goals

Gary O'Neil's Bournemouth only scored nine set-piece goals last season, with the current Wolves boss overseeing an impressive campaign on the set plays front this time around.

The Old Gold proved particularly clinical from dead-ball situations as they outperformed their 11.75 xG to score 14 set piece goals.

4. Luton Town - 14 goals

While newly-promoted Burnley and Sheffield United have struggled to utilise set pieces, the same cannot be said of Rob Edwards' Luton Town.

The Hatters have scored 14 times from set plays, with dead balls having helped them pick up some much-needed points home and away. However, this proficiency wasn't enough to keep Luton up.

3. Manchester City - 16 goals

It seems a little unfair that Man City are also darn good at set pieces, with Pep Guardiola's champions seemingly unable to do anything wrong.

City scored 16 goals from an xG of just 12.83, while they also boasted the sternest set-piece defence having conceded from just two dead balls.

2. Everton - 18 goals

It may be cliché, but Sean Dyche teams are good at set pieces. Everton will be very thankful to have his dead-ball expertise this season as well, especially given their struggles from open play.

The Toffees have scored 18 from corners, free kicks and throw-ins to make up a hefty chunk of their 40 total Premier League goals.

Dwight McNeil's delivery is often pinpoint and Everton have aerial threats galore.

1. Arsenal - 20 goals

Arsenal were simply relentless from dead balls, with set piece coach Nicolas Jover deserving a colossal pay rise in the summer.

The Gunners scored an astonishing 20 goals from set plays, with centre-back duo Gabriel and William Saliba having been sensational from corners and free kicks. The pair made the most of Declan Rice's sensational delivery, while Kai Havertz also had a notable impact.

Mikel Arteta's side outperformed their 14.45 xG by some margin and were also the second sternest defence when defending the dead ball. Arsenal conceded just six set piece goals all season.

Premier League set piece goal table

Data courtesy of Opta

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