We’ll be taking a regular look at the Fantasy Premier League (FPL) set-piece takers throughout 2022/23, identifying which players are on penalties, corner-kicks and free-kicks.
Our Set-Piece Takers tab rounds up our estimated pecking order at any given time but these shorter-term recaps look at what’s happened in the Gameweek just gone.
Based on the data collection in our Premium Members Area, here is a breakdown from the latest round of matches (Liverpool and Crystal Palace will be added after tonight’s match).
GAMEWEEK 2 SET-PIECES
| Corners | Crosses from free kicks | Shots from direct free kicks | Penalties | |
| Arsenal | Martinelli (4) Smith Rowe (2) | Martinelli (1) | ||
| Aston Villa | McGinn (3) Buendia (2) | |||
| Bournemouth | Tavernier (1) | |||
| Brentford | Jensen (4) Mbeumo (2) Janelt (1) Toney (1) | Jensen (2) | Jensen (1) | |
| Brighton and Hove Albion | Gross (5) March (2) | |||
| Chelsea | Mount (4) Cucurella (4) | James (1) Cucurella (1) | ||
| Crystal Palace | TBC | TBC | ||
| Everton | Gray (3) McNeil (2) Gordon (2) Mykolenko (1) | Gray (1) | ||
| Fulham | Andreas (2) Reed (1) | Mitrovic (1) | ||
| Leeds United | Harrison (2) Aaronson (2) Klich (1) | Harrison (1) | ||
| Leicester City | Maddison (2) | Maddison (1) | ||
| Liverpool | TBC | TBC | ||
| Manchester City | De Bruyne (7) Foden (3) Bernardo (1) | Mahrez (1) | ||
| Manchester United | Eriksen (2) | Eriksen (1) | ||
| Newcastle United | Trippier (3) | Trippier (1) | ||
| Nott’m Forest | Williams (6) | Williams (1) | ||
| Southampton | Ward-Prowse (2) | Ward-Prowse (2) | Ward-Prowse (1) | |
| Tottenham Hotspur | Perisic (3) Son (2) | Perisic (1) Son (1) | ||
| West Ham United | Bowen (4) Cresswell (3) | Benrahma (1) Cresswell (1) | Rice (1) | |
| Wolves | Neto (3) Gibbs-White (2) | Neto (1) | Neves (1) |
GAMEWEEK 2: KEY OBSERVATIONS AND NOTEWORTHY CHANGES
- Neco Williams (£4.0m) was even more prominent at set plays for Nottingham Forest this week, not only taking a direct free-kick but all of his team’s six corners – from both sides of the pitch – against West Ham.
- Having taken 13 corners in Gameweek 1, most of them awful, Reece James (£6.0m) found himself uninvolved against Spurs. New signing Marc Cucurella (£5.0m) shared duties with Mason Mount (£8.0m) instead. James was actually barely involved at corner-kicks in 2021/22, taking only three this calendar year (before Gameweek 1), although was and is still prominent at indirect free-kick situations. One convincing argument for why he’s less involved at corners is his pace: Thomas Tuchel has previously highlighted how much James’s speed helps against swift opponents when playing at centre-half, so having him back to stop counter-attacks might be preferable.
- Substitute Ivan Perisic (£5.4m) replaced Son Heung-min (£12.0m) in the second half of the clash at Stamford Bridge and immediately assumed the South Korean’s role at set plays, providing the corner for Harry Kane‘s (£11.4m) late leveller.
- Christian Eriksen (£6.5m) has his feet under the door at Manchester United when it comes to free-kicks and corners, with compatriot Mathias Jensen (£5.0m) filling the void he left at Brentford.
- Having not taken a single corner in Gameweek 1 when four of his teammates did, Kevin De Bruyne (£12.0m) was back on dead-ball duties against Bournemouth.
- Two penalties were taken in Gameweek 2, both of them missed by Aleksandar Mitrovic (£6.6m) and Declan Rice (£5.0m). While the former remains on spot-kicks for Fulham after his manager’s backing, the identity of West Ham’s next penalty taker remains unknown: David Moyes talked up Manuel Lanzini (£5.5m), who was off the field when Rice missed from 12 yards, but Gianluca Scamacca (£7.0m) did take and score three across the previous two campaigns for Genoa and Sassuolo.
“Mitro knows that the next penalty will be there, the next penalty he will take, and the next penalty he will score. That is part of the game.
“Last week he had one and he scored, this afternoon he could be the moment for us to win the game, but okay, it’s part of our job.
“It’s part of Mitro’s job as well and we have to keep working with him. I will not miss, for sure, because I do not take penalties, but it’s part of the life of a football player. Next time he will score.” – Marco Silva
“Manuel Lanzini took the penalty kicks last year and scored them, it wasn’t Declan. We had Declan in mind today.
“No [Rice isn’t the designated taker this season]. That was one question, it doesn’t mean it will be the same all season. We will see, but Declan was the guy that was on the penalties today.” – David Moyes
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