With the September international break offering some respite, it’s time to look back over the takers of penalties and set-pieces in Gameweeks 1-3 of Fantasy Premier League (FPL) 2025/26.
Many of the players involved at dead-ball situations were carrying off where they left off in 2024/25 or in pre-season.
But there are a few new set-play pretenders to report on following the first month of action.
Based on the official Opta data in our Members Area, here is a club-by-club breakdown and some key takeaways.
Our Set-Piece Takers tab has been updated in the process.
CORNERS + CROSSED FREE-KICKS
DIRECT FREE-KICKS
PENALTIES
KEY TAKEAWAYS
DIARRA UP NEXT FOR SUNDERLAND?
Sunderland’s track record from 12 yards last season was abysmal, while Eliezer Mayenda (£5.5m) missed from the spot in pre-season.
And so, the responsibility fell to the recalled Enzo Le Fee (£4.9m) when the Black Cats were awarded their latest penalty in Gameweek 3.
As the player himself said after the game, however, it might be Habib Diarra (£5.5m) taking the next one.
“I was sure I would score. We had a discussion with Habib [Diarra], because he wanted to take it as well, but I was sure, so he let me shoot and I scored.
“No, no, no [I am not the first-choice taker]. If we have another one, I will let Habib shoot because he let me shoot today.” – Enzo Le Fee on his penalty
MILNER ROLLS BACK THE YEARS
Three Gameweeks, three different Brighton and Hove Albion penalty takers.
James Milner (£5.0m) became the latest Seagull to chance his arm in the win over Manchester City, following on from Danny Welbeck‘s (£6.4m) miss in Gameweek 2 and Matt O’Riley‘s (£5.5m) successful conversion on the opening weekend.
O’Riley has since left on loan.
Welbeck wasn’t on the field when Milner scored his penalty – and the reverse was true when the striker missed against Everton.
NEW FORWARDS SCORE FROM THE SPOT
Viktor Gyokeres (£9.0m), Igor Thiago (£6.0m) and Lukas Nmecha (£5.0m) have all netted from the spot this season.
Bukayo Saka (£9.9m) was absent when Gyokeres scored his spot-kick but all the noise from north London had suggested that the Swede was set to assume control from 12 yards anyway.
Nmecha’s Gameweek 1 penalty came with last season’s main taker, Pascal Struijk (£4.5m), on the field. However, Joel Piroe (£5.4m), who took one in pre-season, had been substituted by that point.
Thiago isn’t technically a ‘new’ forward but such was his injury record in 2024/25 that this is our first proper look at him.
He netted from the spot in Gameweek 1 – and that was done with Kevin Schade (£7.0m) on the field.
In Gameweek 3, however, Schade stepped up to take the Bees’ second spot-kick of 2025/26, despite Thiago being present. Almost inevitably, he missed.
Keith Andrews didn’t really clarify the situation after full-time.
ENZO DEPUTISES, NOT PEDRO
As Joao Pedro (£7.7m) owners will be all too aware now, it was Enzo Fernandez (£6.6m) and not the Brazilian forward who deputised from the spot when Cole Palmer (£10.4m) was absent in Gameweek 3.
Enzo had last taken a penalty for Chelsea in 2023/24.
STILL ON DUTY
Bruno Fernandes (£9.0m), Jean-Philippe Mateta (£7.5m) and Lucas Paqueta (£5.9m) have all carried on where they left off in 2024/25, taking penalties for their respective clubs this season.
Fernandes survived a Gameweek 2 spot-kick miss and was still trusted with the responsibility in Gameweek 3.
Mateta, of course, no longer has Eberechi Eze (£7.5m) jobsharing from 12 yards.
DEFENDERS ON DEAD BALLS
We’ve seen 16 defenders taking set pieces this season.
Quilindschy Hartman (£4.0m) and Gabriel Gudmundsson (£4.0m) are the joint-cheapest; the former has been more active than the latter, taking nine corners/free-kicks to Gudmundsson’s one.
Matty Cash (£4.5m) has taken more corners/free-kicks (10) than any FPL defender. He is one of three members of the Villans’ backline to do so; Lucas Digne (£4.5m) and Ian Maatsen (£4.4m) have also sporadically been on duty.
New left-backs Maxim De Cuyper, David Moller Wolfe, Adrien Truffert and El Hadji Diouf (all £4.5m) have all taken at least one set piece this season.
SZOBOSZLAI NETS SEASON’S FIRST DIRECT FREE-KICK
There have been 19 direct free-kick attempts this season – and the first 18 were missed.
Finally, Dominik Szoboszlai (£6.5m) ended the drought with his 0.03 xG howitzer against Arsenal in Gameweek 3.
CHEAP ALL-ROUNDERS
Cheapo midfielders Josh Cullen (£5.0m), James Garner (£5.0m), Enzo Le Fee (£4.9m), Sasa Lukic (£5.0m), Hannibal Mejbri (£5.0m), Anton Stach (£5.0m), Marcus Tavernier (£5.5m) and Granit Xhaka (£5.0m) have all not only taken corners/crossed free-kicks for their sides this season but they have all bagged defensive contribution points (DC) too.
Stach, Tavernier, Garner and Mejbri have all taken a direct free-kick, too.
REIJNDERS INTO THE SET-PIECE MIX
Our Gameweek 1 dead-ball round-up made mention of summer signings Florian Wirtz (£8.4m), Bryan Mbeumo (£8.1m) and Mohammed Kudus (£6.6m) all stepping up for their new sides.
In the last two Gameweeks, another well-owned new boy has been in the set-piece mix: Tijjani Reijnders (£5.7m). The Dutchman took two corners in both Gameweeks 2 and 3, also whipping in a free-kick in the latter.
