Tag: setpieces

Championship table 2025-26: Who won on expected points, home form and set-pieces?
18 June 2026 Off

Championship table 2025-26: Who won on expected points, home form and set-pieces?

By Total Football News

And finally, what would have happened if the Championship season was split into two halves?

It was Norwich who produced the biggest recovery. The Canaries would have been relegated in 23rd position after 23 games.

But they would have been fifth – and into the play-offs – based on the second half of the campaign, highlighting the excellent job Philippe Clement did after replacing Liam Manning as boss in November

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Why are Portsmouth so vulnerable from set-pieces?
13 January 2026 Off

Why are Portsmouth so vulnerable from set-pieces?

By Total Football News

Conceding goals from set-pieces have been a constant struggle for Portsmouth this season.

They let in three from corners in Sunday’s 4-1 FA Cup defeat by Arsenal – arguably the current masters of a dead-ball situation – to raise further frustration and questions around their ability to deal with them.

So far this campaign across all competitions 19 of Portsmouth’s 41 conceded goals have come from set-pieces.

Twelve from corners,

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Portsmouth FC opinion: Set-pieces Pompey’s downfall v Arsenal
12 January 2026 Off

Portsmouth FC opinion: Set-pieces Pompey’s downfall v Arsenal

By Total Football News

While John Mousinho has usually rested players for cup matches, it was sensible going close to full strength for Arsenal.

What he got was a good performance except in one area.

Set-pieces were always going to be a potential issue. Conceding from three of the first four corners they faced is extremely disappointing, even noting how good Arsenal are from dead balls.

This undid a lot of other good work

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Tony Pulis column: ‘I was seen as a dinosaur but I don’t see many managers moaning about set-pieces now’
29 October 2025 Off

Tony Pulis column: ‘I was seen as a dinosaur but I don’t see many managers moaning about set-pieces now’

By Total Football News

Hello. I’m Tony Pulis and welcome to my new BBC Sport column, Going Direct.

From tactics to man-management, I’m going to be tackling a different aspect of the modern game every week, and comparing old-school ideas to new trends.

There’s only one place to start, and that’s with the rise of set-pieces, which is probably the story of the season so far.

I was seen as a dinosaur for my

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Arsenal set-pieces: ‘The new Stoke City’? Best set-piece and corner stats and reaction
5 December 2024 Off

Arsenal set-pieces: ‘The new Stoke City’? Best set-piece and corner stats and reaction

By Total Football News

The consensus seems to be yes – but with difficulty.

There are several aspects to Arsenal’s set-pieces that make them extremely difficult for opponents to defend. The first is excellent delivery.

“Delivery is key, movement, blocking the goalkeeper. The ball is played over that first player [at the near post] and it’s perfection,” former Arsenal defender Martin Keown said on Match of the Day while analysing Declan Rice’s delivery for

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