Arsenal Lead Set-Piece Scoring Trend

The Premier League has seen a surge in set-piece scoring this season, with a record share of goals from corners (19% of goals — 45 of 241) and some analyses estimating roughly 28.4% of all goals come from rehearsed set plays. Arsenal have been the standout practitioners: Mikel Arteta and set-piece coach Nicolás Jover have driven a decade-long focus that has produced double-digit set-piece goals across competitions and helped put the club atop the table. Other teams have followed, adding specialist coaches and preparing rehearsed blocking, runs and routines informed by detailed scouting. Managers are borrowing ideas from American football — rub routes and strategic blocking — and using innovations such as long throws and underlapping full-backs to create high-percentage scoring moments. The league-wide emphasis on dead-ball work has reshaped scoring patterns and elevated the tactical importance of set pieces.