In our latest community article, Bordeaux FC looks at the rise of set pieces – and how Fantasy managers can take advantage of this tactical trend.
The reincarnation of dead balls
Set pieces are the talk of the Premier League city – and the team at the top of the pile is, appropriately, the master of the art. More than 55% of Arsenal’s goals this season have come from these situations. Perhaps even more remarkable is that they are tied for fourth place when it comes to goals scored from open play. The ‘dead ball’ is very much alive.
Above: Premier League teams sorted by fewest goals from open play (OP), with their set-piece goals (SP) for comparison
The tactical evolution of football is a fascinating aspect of the game. Five years ago, Premier League fashion was Liverpool’s gegenpress and Manchester City’s version of tiki taka. At that point, you would have gone to great lengths to predict that 2025/26 would be the season of the long throw. But the path of change in football is not linear. Often ‘new’ tactical innovations are a reinterpretation of ideas from the past. After all, there is nothing new under the sun…
Inspiration from across the Atlantic Ocean
The intensity of the competition to stay in the Premier League is so fierce that teams, with their armies of analysts, are always looking for ways to gain an edge. Teams such as Bournemouth, Brighton and Hove Albion and Brentford have drawn inspiration from baseball’s vaunted ‘Moneyball’ approach and have moved from better known League One clubs to established and acclaimed Premier League clubs.
The latest Premier League trend is further inspired across the Atlantic, but it’s more NFL than MLB. There has been much discussion about the increasing prominence of ‘Special Teams’ in American Football, driven by an analytical recognition of their importance in determining field position.
After Aston Villa’s victory over Manchester City Matty Cash (£4.6m) referred to the “special angles” that the team’s coach has in store. Set-piece coaches are now a mainstay of every PL team (just like special teams coaches in the NFL), in a way that didn’t exist 20 years ago. Their importance has become so great that Brentford, who have led the way in this trend, have even appointed their permanent coach, Keith Andrews, to succeed Thomas Frank. And it’s not just coaching appointments that are affected by this trend. Upon signing Michael Kayode (£4.5m), reports suggest that a key factor in Brentford’s scouting was his long throw (although his all-round play has also been excellent this season).
Above: Where Michael Kayode has created his chances in 2025/26
From free kicks, corner kicks and long throws there is a controlled opportunity to get players moving and deliver a planned and practiced routine from the playbook. Perhaps the most obvious comparison to American football is the increased importance of blockers, whose intention is not to head the ball (or receive a pass), but simply to create a better opportunity for the intended target to do so.
The focus on set pieces this season is best illustrated by the long throw. Through the first eight gameweeks, there were 113 shots from face-off situations, compared to nine in 2020/21. This is pragmatism over philosophy. Neil Warnock or Tony Pulis are not in line to succeed Pep Guardiola or Enzo Maresca, but the data suggests it is a worthwhile venture. Most spectators would rather see a goal scored by a fluid movement than by a six-yard punch, but they appreciate football just the same. Until more teams figure out how to defend these set pieces more effectively, opponents will be shouting at the clouds.
Customizing our Fantasy teams
Whatever your views on set pieces, the latest tactical trend offers opportunities for Fantasy managers. Most obviously, we want the players who are targeted, and the ones who deliver.
This is difficult for long casts. Although some teams use a specialist from both sides, the productivity of a long throw usually comes from the chaotic pinball of second and third balls, creating a greater degree of randomness. Some teams have consistently targeted players with a near-post flick on (Nathan Collins (£4.9 million), Gabriel Magalhaes (£6.5 million), Then Burns (£5.1m)); perhaps these players are best placed to benefit from an assist.
Above: The leading players for throw-in odds in 2025/26
Despite the increased focus on long throws, corners and free kicks around the penalty area remain the most profitable set pieces. This season, many teams are favoring in-swing deliveries from corners, which makes it more difficult to target players as the tasks are divided. With the exception of Declan Rice (£6.7 million) and Bukayo Saka (£10.0m), benefiting from Arsenal’s high conversion rate, providing set pieces is an added bonus for players like Cody Agat (£7.6m)Bryan Mbeumo (£8.2m) or Mikkel Damsgaard (£5.8m) – but probably not enough reason to buy a player.
However, one group of players stands out and as Fantasy managers we benefit from a useful correlation. It’s also a simple one. The best players at attacking these set pieces – ‘the targets’ – are centre-backs who often share two qualities: they are underpriced and they are defensive contribution magnets (DefCon). Players who are good at attacking the ball are largely good at it in both penalty areas. This means that owners of Gabriel Magalhaes, Joe Rodon (£4.1 million)Omar Alderete (£4.1 million) and Marc Guehi (£4.9m) have benefited not only from a regular two points for defensive contributions, but also from goal and assist potential.
Above: The leading players in headed attempts in 2025/26
Expect people like Collins, James Tarkowski (£5.5 million)Joachim Andersen (£4.5m) and Burn will join them soon. If you can put together a goal, a clean sheet and DefCons, you’re looking at a 17-point win. We’d be thrilled with these returns from a striker costing more than £10m, let alone a defender who will surely cost less than £6.5m – and could be as cheap as almost anyone in the game.
As with all Fantasy Football decisions there is an element of luck involved in getting on the right defender at the right time (congratulations to Micky van de Ven (£4.7m owners this week). There are teams whose inability to defend set pieces can be targeted (West Ham for example), and as always you can put your team in the right position to get lucky.
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