Set-pieces — corners, free-kicks, and the occasional throw-in routine — account for approximately 26-28% of Premier League goals in a typical season. The gap between the best set-piece sides and the worst is enormous: top set-piece teams score 12-15 goals per season from dead-ball situations, while the weakest score 4-6. That eight-to-ten goal gap is the equivalent of one or two league positions over a season.
What Makes a Set-Piece Side Good
The conventional answer is “tall defenders and a good delivery”. The actual answer is more granular. Top set-piece sides combine four elements: a designated set-piece coach who scripts routines, two or three reliable aerial targets, at least one elite delivery player, and a defensive structure that allows attacking players to commit forward without leaving counter-attack vulnerability.
Arsenal under Mikel Arteta have built one of the most productive set-piece operations in the modern Premier League. Their first-phase corner routines feature movement patterns and blocker concepts borrowed from American football. Brentford under Thomas Frank developed a similar profile from a smaller budget. Both clubs invested in set-piece specialists at the staff level.
The Set-Piece Gap in 2025-26
| Side | Set-piece goals (proj.) | Set-piece xG |
|---|---|---|
| Top tier (top 4 of 20) | 13-15 | 11-13 |
| Above average (next 5) | 9-12 | 8-11 |
| Average (middle 6) | 7-9 | 7-9 |
| Below average (next 3) | 5-7 | 5-7 |
| Bottom tier (bottom 2) | 3-5 | 4-6 |
How to Bet the Pattern
Two markets respond directly to set-piece quality differentials:
- Over total corners: set-piece-heavy attacking sides generate more corners. Pricing usually integrates this, but specific match-ups (set-piece side at home vs deep-block defenders) can offer value.
- Anytime goalscorer for set-piece specialists: defenders like William Saliba, Cristian Romero, or Marc Guéhi score 3-5 goals per season almost entirely from set-pieces. Their anytime goalscorer prices are typically 5.00-8.00, which can be too high in matches where their team has high set-piece volume expected.
The Crystal Palace Case
Palace under Glasner have improved their set-piece output but remain in the middle of the league. The aerial threat of Marc Guéhi and Maxence Lacroix gives them targets, but the delivery quality is inconsistent — Eze and Mitchell take most corners, but neither is a designated specialist. The set-piece coach role was reportedly expanded in 2024, but the output gains have been modest.
For context on how Palace’s overall tactical structure fits, see our analysis of Glasner’s pressing system. For corner-specific market analysis, see our piece on corner markets.