Newcastle United, Nottingham Forest and Preston rank highest, whilst Norwich, Derby and Aston Villa are the Championship’s worst teams from set pieces.
Aleksandar Mitrovic heads home for Newcastle
Set pieces are as important as ever in the modern game. Most research suggests roughly 40% of all goals are scored from set plays, whether that be corners, direct or indirect free kicks.
There are few leagues in which they are more crucial than the Championship. Many players new to the division talk about the physicality and high volume of aerial balls that one has to deal with in England’s second tier, even players who’ve just dropped down from the Premier League, and as such, set pieces are of critical importance.
With roughly a quarter of the season gone, already 110 goals have been scored from set pieces in the Championship this season, with relegated Premier League teams coming in at first and last in terms of goals scored from such scenarios.
Steve Bruce will want to improve Aston Villa’s set piece taking
League leaders Newcastle United have scored more set piece goals than any other team, with an overall tally of 11, followed by Nottingham Forest (10) and Preston North End (8).
The divisions top scorers, Newcastle have also scored 17 goals from open play, the second highest open play total behind Norwich City (21). The Canaries though have only managed a measly 2 goals from set piece situations.
It’s not hard to see why Newcastle rank so highly. Rafa Benitez’s squad is blessed with a number of players capable of putting dangerous balls into the box. Matt Ritchie and Jonjo Shelvey are the joint highest assisters in the Championship so far this season with 5 assists each.
Aleksandar Mitrovic is a menace in the air, whilst defenders Ciaran Clark, Grant Hanley and Jamaal Lascelles have chipped in with 4 goals from the back between them already.
Nottingham Forest have scored the second most set piece goals in the Championship
It’s a fairly similar story at Nottingham Forest, where Henri Lansbury is a player with a wicked delivery, Apostolos Vellios is a big forward who would cause any defender problems in the air and the likes of Damien Perquis and Matt Mills are aerial threats when they come forward.
Experienced Preston North End midfielder Paul Gallagher can largely be credited for the Lilywhites placing so highly in terms of set piece goals. The former Leicester man has a joint division high assists total of 5 already this season, whilst Jordan Hugill is a powerful forward capable of getting on the end of balls put in to the box.
The next most proficient teams in the Championship from set pieces are Barnsley (8), Bristol City (7), QPR (7), Birmingham City (6), Reading (6) and Cardiff City (6).
No Championship player has more assists than Preston North End midfielder Paul Gallagher so far this season
In terms of the worst teams in the division, Aston Villa top the bill, having scored just a solitary goal from a set piece. Derby County, Ipswich Town, Rotherham United, Blackburn Rovers, Huddersfield Town and Norwich City are the next worst, all tied on just 2 set piece goals after a quarter of the campaign.
Steve Bruce will be keen to quickly change those statistics. His former club Hull City scored both of their midweek goals in the EFL Cup from corners, more than Villa have managed all season, although they were never particularly prolific from set plays under Bruce.
Including penalties in the set piece statistics would bump Villa up the statistics somewhat, having scored 2 penalties already this campaign. With the likes of Rudy Gestede, Jonathan Kodjia and Mile Jedinak real threats in the air, Villa should be capable of scoring a good few set piece goals as the season progresses though.
Derby County have scored just 2 set piece goals all season
The full list of set piece goals scored per team in the Championship this season is below:
Newcastle United – 11
Nottingham Forest – 10
Preston North End – 9
Barnsley – 8
Bristol City – 7
Queens Park Rangers – 7
Birmingham City – 6
Reading – 6
Cardiff City – 6
Brentford – 4
Burton Albion – 4
Sheffield Wednesday – 4
Fulham – 3
Brighton and Hove Albion – 3
Leeds United – 3
Wolverhampton Wanderers – 3
Wigan Athletic – 3
Norwich City – 2
Huddersfield Town – 2
Derby County – 2
Blackburn Rovers – 2
Rotherham United – 2
Ipswich Town – 2
Aston Villa – 1
Who is your teams best set piece taker?
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