Watkins, Enzo, Estupinan: The latest FPL set-piece + penalty takers

It’s time for our monthly look at the takers of set pieces and penalties in Fantasy Premier League (FPL).

With the season settled down and new signings bedded in, most players involved at dead-ball situations have merely been carrying off where they left off.

But there are a handful of notable changes since our last round-up.

Based on the official Opta data in our Premium Members Area, here is a breakdown of the latest four Gameweeks. This takes us back to the November international break.

Our Set-Pieces tab has also been updated in the process.

GAMEWEEKS 12-15: PENALTY AND SET PIECE TAKERS

GAMEWEEKS 12-15: KEY TALKING POINTS

• Ollie Watkins (£9.0m) took – and scored – his first penalty since 2022/23 in Aston Villa’s Gameweek 14 victory over Brentford. It had been 18 months since his last effort from 12 yards, which he missed. Villa had been searching for a first-choice taker since Douglas Luiz’s departure in the summer, with Youri Tielemans (£5.5m) missing in Gameweek 12.
• Most of the penalty takers over the last four Gameweeks were first choices, one exception being Jordan Ayew (£5.2m). Regular taker Jamie Vardy (£5.6m) had already been substituted when Leicester City won a stoppage-time penalty against Chelsea in Gameweek 12.
• Arsenal’s penalty jobshare returned to the fore in Gameweek 13. Bukayo Saka (£10.5m) had taken the last four Premier League penalties for Arsenal before then but as demonstrated last season, the England winger isn’t averse to letting someone else have a go now and again. Martin Odegaard (£8.3m) took one with Saka on the field in August 2023. A month later, Odegaard and Kai Havertz (£7.9m) scored from 12 yards in the same fixture – again with Saka present. That benevolence reared its head against West Ham United in late November, with Saka handing the ball to Odegaard for the Gunners’ first penalty despite winning it himself. Saka was at least to get his own chance later in the same game.
• Pedro Porro (£5.6m) has slightly taken more of a back seat for Spurs’ corners in the last four Gameweeks, although he was of course benched for one of those games. That’s not the worst thing in the world, as he can be on the other end of them – just two players have had more shots from crossed corners than Porro (nine) this season.
• We’ve seen only five converted direct free-kicks this season but two of them arrived in the last three Gameweeks courtesy of Ashley Young (£4.6m) and Emerson Palmieri (£4.4m). James Maddison (£7.6m), Cole Palmer (£11.1m) and Danny Welbeck (£5.8m) are the other scorers in 2024/25, the latter two of whom have taken more direct free-kicks (seven apiece) than any other player this season.
• Matt O’Riley (£5.5m) was heavily involved at corners and free-kicks in his first two league starts of the season, taking seven across Gameweeks 13 and 14. Pervis Estupinan (£5.1m) continues to be prominent, too, however. The left-back has taken corners, indirect free-kicks and a direct free-kick in the last four Gameweeks, adding to his appeal in FPL.
• Another popular budget buy at present, Enzo Fernandez (£5.0m) has done the same. A direct free-kick attempt in Gameweek 14 was his first of 2024/25, while since his return to the side in Gameweek 12 he has taken 11 corners. He ranks sixth in the league for expected assists (xA) from set plays in that time.
• Five of West Ham United’s seven goals scored in Gameweeks 12-15 came from set plays. That’s more than even Arsenal (four) have managed in that time, although the Gunners lead the way over the course of 2024/25 (eight).

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