Statistically speaking, only about 3% of total corners taken in a Premier League season result in goals. But yet, stats don’t always tell the whole truth, do they? Just have a look at England’s campaign in the 2018 World Cup. Nine out of the twelve goals that England scored came from set pieces. Yes. That’s 75% of all goals scored by Southgate’s men in Russia.
Just think of this from the Fantasy Football point of view. A lot of us played World Cup Fantasy and probably one of the first names on our teamsheets were that of either Ashley Young or Kieran Trippier. Their crossing ability, especially from a set piece was immaculate and found an England head more often than not. The assists your player might accumulate over the year from set pieces can define your season. So it’s very important to know who are these dead ball magicians from each team that you can target for the upcoming FPL season. So now, I will talk you through the key set piece takers and evaluate their value, and ultimately whether they deserve a spot in your team or not.
Written by Prashant Tiwari / Graphics by FPL Aditya and FPL Dru
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Mesut Ozil(£8.5M): Probably the most frustrating player for Arsenal fans, Ozil is the prime set-piece taker in the Arsenal squad. Ozil who had an underwhelming 2017-18 season was still ranked 4th on the number of chances created, despite playing only 26 games. 8.5 million is probably too much for a player with only 4 goals and 9 assists last season, but with the arrival of Mkhi and Aubameyang, chances are that his key passes will also reflect in more assists. He is surely a differential punt if you are going with one Arsenal midfielder.
Granit Xhaka(£5.5M): Another player who is certainly not a fan favourite, Xhaka’s deliveries from corners and free kicks are quite decent. He accumulated 8 assists in the last term, most of which came from his corners. But with the arrival of Torreira, there are genuine doubts if Xhaka will start every game. Spending 5.5 million on a player under rotation risk is certainly not worth it.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan(£7.0M): The Armenian who arrived at the Emirates had a good start to his Arsenal career. His chemistry with Aubameyang was scintillating in their first match and the Toffees faced the heat with 3 Mkhitaryan assists that night. Micky had proved from his Manchester United career that he is a dead ball specialist too and has an eye for important goals. He is for me one of the first names on my FPL team after the first 2 GWs.
Penalties
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang(£11.0M): Eyebrows were raised when the Gabon international was bought in from Dortmund, midway through the season, that too for 60 million pounds. But he silenced all his critics straight away. 10 goals and 4 assists in just 4 months is the stuff of dreams for FPL managers. And then when he doesn’t feel pity for Lacazzete, he is the primary penalty taker for the Gunners. He was literally the first striker I selected in my team this year and if he maintains his good form, he will be in there for the long term.
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Daniels(£4.5M): His heroics in the 2016-17 season had put him in most of the GW1 teams of last season. But his returns in 2017-18 of just 1 goal and 3 assists are not enough to justify his inclusion in my team. Even though he occasionally takes corners, the fact that Bournemouth hardly ever keep CS makes Daniels not worthy of that 5th defender spot.
Jordan Ibe and Ryan Fraser(£5.5M): Both of these players take direct free kicks around the penalty box as well as the corners. If Bournemouth are in good form with an easy run of fixtures, they can definitely be considered. Fraser with 5 goals and 3 assists is a decent shout for a slightly costly 5th midfielder.
Penalties
Joshua King(£6.5M): England’s finest Joshua King is responsible for Cherries’ penalties. He is, in fact, a very good shout for a cheap 3rd striker, as Eddie Howe’s men face only one top 6 teams, Chelsea in their opening 10 fixtures.
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Pascal Gross(£7.0M): There is only one name that comes to all FPL managers’ minds when they hear the word, Brighton. Gross. The German was an absolute sensation in the last season. The Seagulls survived in the Premier League on the back of Gross’s 7 goals and 8 assists. But the only problem with Gross this season is Brighton’s opening fixtures. They face Liverpool, Spurs, and City in their first 7 matches. But after that, if Gross finds his Midas touch, he is a must-have for me.
Penalties
Glenn Murray(£6.5M): The veteran English striker scored 12 goals last season for the Seagulls, out which 4 were penalties. He was the sole penalty taker for Brighton but after one of his misses in the later part of the season, Gross took over the duties from the spot and scored against the Spurs. The problem with Murray is the rotation risk. Murray, who will be 35 in September, started only 25 games last season and with the arrival of Locadia in January, might be sporadically used by Chris Hughton.
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Johann Gudmundsson(£6.0M): Gudmundsson with 9 assists was the chief creator of Burnley’s goals throughout the last campaign. He took over the set-piece duty after Brady’s long-term injury. He has the ability to deliver a wicked ball in from both corners and wide free kicks. Even though Burnley’s first few fixtures are decent, we all need to remember that Burnley will be playing Europa League qualifications. So we might see a lot of rotation from Sean Dyche. Gudmundsson at 6 million isn’t worth the risk. There are other players in the similar price bracket with a guarantee of starting every week.
Robbie Brady(£5.5M): Brady scored 1 goal and assisted 4 more in just 3 months of Premier League last season before getting injured. If he is fit and firing this year, he is a decent pick for a 5.5 million player with good chances of returns from free kicks and corners.
Penalties
Wood(£6.5M)/Barnes(£6.0M): Probably one of the weirdest things of the previous season was that Burnley didn’t win even a single penalty No pens for the entire 38 GWs period. But we can safely assume that if they win some this season, one of Wood or Barnes would take over the role of the penalty taker.
Free Kicks/Corner
Junior Hoilett(£5.5M): The Canadian midfielder was Cardiff’s star man under Warnock during the last campaign. He scored his career-best 9 goals and assisted 11 more throughout the Championship season. His tally of 85 key passes was highest for any Cardiff player.
Penalties
Joe Ralls(£5.0M): Neil Warnock has handed over the spot-kick duty to Ralls. In the season 2017-18, the English midfielder scored 7 goals in the Championship for the Bluebirds , out of which 4 were from 12 yards.
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Willian(£7.5M): Willian is certainly one of the best shooters of a dead ball in the Premier League. He is always a danger to the opponents, both from set pieces and open play. His goal tally of 6 last season is a little less for a player of his calibre, but you can’t completely blame him there as under Conte he managed only 20 starts in the season. But still, his ability to deliver pinpoint crosses from set pieces makes him a very dangerous player. He might miss the initial games because of the World Cup but can be a real differential as the season progresses.
Penalties
Eden Hazard(£10.5M): Hazard is the numero uno of penalties in England for me. He has missed just twice from the spot in his 5 seasons in the Premier League. But the problem with Hazard is he can be a frustrating player to own,. Despite winning the man of the match in a particular game, there is a very high possibility that he might return with just 2 points. Is he a risk worth taking for 10.5 million? Absolutely not. Also, he might be off to Real Madrid to replace Cristiano Ronaldo. So I would suggest keeping clear of him for the first month at least.
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Wilfried Zaha(£7.0M): The Ivory Coast player has been listed as a striker for this season and can very well prove to be a great choice for the 2nd striker. His ability to win assists by winning penalties adds to his corner duties. Roy Hodgson’s men face only 2 Top Six teams in their opening 10 fixtures and Zaha could provide the early season boost that we all crave for.
Penalties
Luka Milivojevic(£6.5M): The Serbian scored 7 penalties last season. Yes. Seven. The highest ever by any player in a single premier league season. And add to that a glorious free kick at the Vitality stadium. He was an absolute bargain at 5 million last season. But with a 6.5 million price tag, one should take him at their own risk. He usually plays a deeper midfield role and we don’t know if Palace will win so many spot-kicks this season or not.
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Leighton Baines(£5.5M): The English left back is the designated penalty taker of Everton. With a favorable first 5 fixtures, Baines could turn out to be an important asset. His ability to deliver accurate crosses, both from open play and set pieces makes him a very attractive option. But one should be ready to replace him when the time comes because of Everton’s terrible fixtures from GW6-GW10 when they travel to the Emirates and the Anfield and host Manchester United.
Gylfi Sigurdsson(£7.5M): With Rooney’s departure to the States, the Icelander will now take full responsibility of free kicks and corners for Everton. He has proved over the seasons that he has the potential for big returns and can very well turn out to be a good differential pick among midfielders of that price bracket.
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Stefan Johanson(£5.5M): The Norwegian international scored 8 and assisted 8 in the last season for Fulham, out of which 2 were spectacular free kicks off his left foot. He takes corners and wide free kicks for the Cottagers too.
Penalties
Tom Cairney(£5.0M): Cairney shared this duty with Mitrovic. But after Mitrovic’s departure, Cairney will take over the spot kicks for Fulham. He found the net 5 times during the last campaign.
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Rajiv Van La Parra(£5.0M): Van La Parra shares the corner duties with Aaron Mooy. However, VLP had a poor first EPL season with Huddersfield with just 3 goals and 0 assists throughout the campaign so is not a strong option.
Penalties
Aaron Mooy(£5.5M): The 27-year-old Australian is David Wagner’s main man when it comes to free kicks and penalties. Mooy scored 4 times last season and assisted further 3 for Huddersfield, a decent return for a such a poor team. But Huddersfield’s first 10 fixtures are nothing less than a horror show. They face Chelsea, City, Liverpool, and Spurs in their first 10 games. That’s the reason I would suggest not to touch any Huddersfield player, not even with a 10-foot pole.
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James Maddison(£6.5m): The English U-21 international scored 15 goals and assisted 8 in all competitions for Norwich City. His price will prove to be a complete bargain if he achieves similar statistics in the Premier League. After Mahrez’s departure, he has the potential to be a big differential pick in early parts of the season.
Marc Albrighton(£5.5M): Albrighton has proved that he can be a decent bargain buy from Leicester with his 8 assists and 2 goals last term. He has a great delivery and has assisted many a Vardy goal.
Penalties
Jamie Vardy (£8.5M): Vardy is the penalty king at Leicester. He is undoubtedly their talisman, but after Mahrez’s departures, will he be able to get anywhere near the 20 goals he scored last season? Only time will tell. But what we know for sure is that he might miss the first couple of weeks of the season as he sustained a knock during England duty at the World Cup and will likely have severe fatigue from excessive travelling.
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Xhedran Shaqiri(£7.5M): The former Stoke man is always a danger from corners and free kicks. And add to that his long-range shooting, he becomes a brilliant pick at this price. But the only problem for FPL managers is that will he start every week? He usually plays as a RW, but that spot is nailed by a certain Egyptian. So Shaqiri will have to wait for his chances off the bench.
James Milner(£5.5M): Back in 2015-16, Milner would have been a good pick but now he has become a bit part player in Klopp’s Liverpool. He still takes corners and free kicks if he is on the pitch, but it is inadvisable to spend 5.5 million for a player who isn’t guaranteed a starting spot.
Penalties
Mo Salah(£13.0M): Mo Salah had a mind-boggling season 2017-18. In the latter part of the season, he was virtually on every corner, free kick and penalty for Liverpool as the Golden Boot race intensified. He may very easily not score even half the points he did last time out, but I would still suggest starting with Salah in your respective teams as you will be in the same boat as probably 60-70% other managers. If he fires then it’s all well and good. If he doesn’t it’s always easier to sell him and utilise your funds elsewhere than bringing him into your team later with hits.
Fabinho(£6.0M): The new Liverpool signing is best known for his defensive work at the middle of the park. But he isn’t limited only to tackles and interceptions. Last season at Monaco, he found the back of the net 7 times. And this included 4 confident penalties. He would love to keep doing more of the same in front of the Kop.
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Leroy Sane(£9.5M): A fully rested Leroy Sane should be ready to fire for the Blues of Manchester. He should start City’s first games as Sterling won’t be match fit. But again, the same risk lies with him as every other Guardiola player, his unpredictable rotation. The quartet of Mahrez, Bernado Silva, Sterling and Sane will be fighting for the two places on the wings and as we have learned from last season, Pep just loves to troll the FPL Community, doesn’t he?
David Silva(£8.5M): David Silva had a fantastic campaign in 2017-18 where he contributed with 9 goals and 11 assists. But also burnt a lot of -4 point hits for FPL managers because of his constant travelling to Spain to visit his newborn son. With Spain getting knocked out early from the World Cup, Silva should have had enough rest. He is the cheapest way into City’s attack and should be a no brainer if set for starting every week.
Kevin De Bruyne(£10.0M): The Belgian had the season of his life when he scored 8 times over the campaign and assisted 18 more. It’s actually quite surprising that his price tag didn’t rise even by 0.5 million. One thing he has over other City midfielders is the assurance that he will start every game for City when fit. But then again, he is likely to miss first few games as Belgium finished their WC campaign as bronze medalists.
Riyad Mahrez(£9.0M): 96 minutes had passed. It was beyond added time. Mahrez stood over the free kick, about 25 yards from the goal. The referee blew the whistle, Mahrez runs in and bends the ball around the Bournemouth wall and into the corner to send King Power stadium into rapture. Okay. That was a little over dramatic. But whilst Mahrez has got his move to City but he might not be a first choice right winger, let alone first choice set piece taker. However if he nails down his starting place, then don’t be surprised when he bends another ball from 25-30 yards into the top corner.
Penalties
Kun Aguero(£11.0M): The name says it all. There is nothing for me to add. He is so good that he may even prove to be a bargain at 11 million. Aguero has scored 20+ goals in the league for past 4 seasons. Although he was heavily rotated with Jesus in the first half of the season, Aguero is worth that risk.
Gabriel Jesus(£10.5M): In Aguero’s absence, Jesus was the man trusted to dispatch the spot kicks. But after failing twice last season, he was relieved from the duty. He might start afresh again this year. Even though he had a very poor WC, his 13 goals and 7 assists of last season should be enough to keep FPL critics away.
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Juan Mata(£6.5M): The Spaniard possesses a wicked delivery from both corners and free kicks. He also has a wand of a left foot, capable of finding the top corner himself. With Rashford and Lingard returning late from the World Cup, Mourinho has confirmed that he will start the league campaign with the front three of Mata, Sanchez and Martial.
Ashley Young(£6.0M): The 33 yr old winger converted fullback had a great last season where he made the LB position virtually his own, both at club and country. His 6 assists last time around were commendable and he proved at the Vicarage Road that he is also capable of dispatching some beauties in the top corner. But his late return from England’s World Cup campaign will give the LB spot to Shaw for the first few games. Even though he can get you the assist points with his crosses, it is advisable to spend 6 million elsewhere on United’s defence.
Paul Pogba(£8.0M): The World Cup winner will probably join the Red Devils the last of all squad members. But once he comes in, he becomes a very good shout for a differential as United have a favourable first 10 game weeks. If he could replicate his World Cup form and add on to the 13 assists which he gave last season, Pogba at 8 million is a steal.
Penalties
Alexis Sanchez(£10.5M): The Chilean had his first free summer in over 4 years. Almost 3 months of rest should be enough for United’s no7 to get back to his Arsenal form. As Rashford and Lukaku return late from their summer commitments, Sanchez is poised to start as a no 9 for Jose Mourinho. The fact that he is on penalty duties for United is an added bonus.
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Kenedy(£5.0M): The Brazilian proved to be very vital for Newcastle in the second half of the season as he helped them survive relegation scare. He takes both corners and free kicks. His pace on the break is also an added bonus for Benitez as his men can then strike teams on the counter. His 5 million price tag is very tempting, but one must be warned of the terrible opening 10 fixtures for Newcastle. They face all of Spurs, Arsenal, City, Chelsea and Man United before the 10th game week of the season. That’s the reason I would suggest to stay clear of any Newcastle players for now.
Jonjo Shelvey(£5.5M): Shelvey was immense for The Magpies last season from a deeper role and genuinely unlucky to not get selected by Southgate for the World Cup. His set-piece delivery is very accurate along with his long balls, but one can’t expect much returns from him in the first 10 fixtures.
Matt Richie(£6.0M): Richie provided 7 assists for his teammates and scored thrice in the last season. After GW10, he can be a differential pick for his price range.
Penalties
Ayoze Perez(£6.5M): Perez finished the last campaign with a bang by scoring a brace against Chelsea in the last game of the season. He came up with 8 goals and 6 assists for a Newcastle side which was struggling for form and goals for most of the season. Perez should be on penalty duties as Joselu had missed one spot-kick last season.
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James Ward-Prowse(£5.5M): There is only one name synonymous to set pieces in Southampton, Ward-Prowse. Ward-Prowse scored thrice and assisted 5 goals in a Southampton side that extended their stay in the league by the skin of their teeth. The Saints have a safe opening 10 games and Ward-Prowse can prove to be an uber differential if Hughes’ men start firing early on the season.
Penalties
Manolo Gabbiadini(£6.0M) & Charlie Austin(£6.0M): No other side struggled for goals more than Southampton in the season of 2017-18. They scored just 37 times in 38 games over the course of the Premier League. And the strikers were to blame as they just couldn’t find the back of the net for months. These two might be on penalty duties but taking either of them after such a dismal last season would be a huge risk.
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Christian Eriksen(9.5): One of the biggest surprises of this FPL season was the price freeze on Eriksen who had scored 11 times and assisted 10 more goals. Looking at the easy fixtures, it seems irresistible to not own Eriksen right from GW1. But the late arrival Alli and Kane means there wouldn’t be any top finishers at the club.
Kieran Trippier(£6.0M): Trippier was probably the most impressive player for The Three Lions in Russia over the course of the summer. His crossing ability from set plays and in open play was there to be seen by the whole world. But one shouldn’t get him now for 2 reasons. One that he will return late after a long WC campaign and secondly, we all know how much Pochettino loves to rotate his full backs. With 6 million, a far more stable defender can be bought.
Penalties
Harry Kane(£12.5M): The Golden Boot winner at the World Cup was also certainly the best penalty taker in Russia. Okay, he doesn’t fire in August but for what he does after that month makes him Spurs’ talisman. He has scored more than 25 goals for 3 seasons running and we should all have contingency plans to bring him in our FPL lineups come September.
Free Kicks/Corners
Jose Holebas(£4.5M): The Greek fullback is given the responsibility for The Hornet’s set pieces all over the pitch. He provided with 3 assists last season. Apart from that 4 week period in the middle when they face Spurs, Man United and Arsenal, Watford have got winnable fixtures.
Penalties
Troy Deeney(£6.0M): Although the Watford captain missed two spot-kicks last season, he still is their talisman. But with the probable transfer of Richarlison to Everton, not many creative men are left to create clear-cut chances for Deeney.
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Aaron Cresswell(£5.5M): Creswell assisted his teammates 7 times last season and showed his potency from free kicks by scoring an absolute blinder against Manchester City. But with tough fixtures in opening weeks, expecting clean sheets from West Ham would be ridiculous.
Penalties
Mark Noble(£5.0M): The Hammers’ skipper has been their penalty specialist for years now and has missed just 2 of them in 8 seasons. Apart from the spot kicks, Noble doesn’t provide much-attacking returns and one should look elsewhere.
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Barry Douglas(£5.0M): The Wolves defender is responsible for all corners and wide free kicks. The bend which he gets on the ball to find his target men is jaw-dropping. He also has the ability to find the top corner himself if the free kick is given near the penalty area.
Penalties
Diago Jota(£6.5M) & Ruben Neves(£5.0M): Penalties for Wolves are taken by many players. But in recent times, two of their star men have taken upon themselves to shoot from the spot. Jota, the former Porto man scored 18 goals and assisted 5 across all competitions with the Wolves. On the other hand, Neves with his more modest returns of 6 goals and 1 assist plays as a deep-lying playmaker with a wide range of passing and eye for a spectacular goal.
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