It has been a few days since I’ve looked at set-pieces, but I thought I would get out there and look at a club’s attacking routines again. In this analysis I will look at Leeds United’s U23 team and how they performed in different attacking corners routines.
Looking at academy teams is more of a challenge in my opinion. Not so much because of the level or the ideas behind a set-piece, but because in youth games the camera angles are different, the quality of the cameras are different, and therefore your job as an analyst can be more difficult. Nevertheless, it’s always worth doing it, as it will train other aspects of being an analyst.
In the video above you Leeds United U23 against Middlesbrough U23. Leeds have a corner on the left, which is taken by right-footed player, which means the ball will swing in. The ball will be placed towards the six-yard box and the positioning of the attacking side is tailored to that.
Middlesbrough employs a two player zonal structure and has one man-marker in the box, because Leeds have one player in the six-yard box. Just outside the six-yard box, Leeds have another players, and they have a short pass option on the left. They have a unit of two at the far post zone who are tasked with making runs into the six-yard box and two player stand outside the penalty area, these two are tasked with attacking cleared balls and guarding the rest defence in case of a counter-attack.
The ball comes to the six-yard box to the man standing there, but the ball is cleared by the combination of the goalkeeper and man-marker. They are so occupied with clearing that they haven’t got a good position for other attackers to come in. The man just outside the six-yard box does profit from it and scores the goal.
In the video above you Leeds United U23 against Burnsley U23. Leeds have a corner on the right, which is taken by right-footed player, which means the ball will swing out. The ball will be placed between the six-yard box and the and the penalty spot.
Burnsley employs a two player zonal structure, but no one from Leeds is in the six-yard box. They have four runners against Burnsley and these runners are split into two units. One unit that will make a movement towards the goalkeeper zone and one unit that will make a run towards the far post zone. Just outside the penalty area, Leeds have two players who are tasked with clearances and rest-defence in case of a counter-attack.
As soon as the ball is kicked, the two units move forwards in order to attack the ball. The ball is cleared by the Burnsley defence, but one of the two players outside the penalty area steps up and shoots the ball under the keeper, converting it into a goal for Leeds.
In the video above you Leeds United U23 against Aston Villa U23. Leeds have a corner on the left, which is taken by right-footed player, which means the ball will swing in. The ball will be placed towards the six-yard box and the positioning of the attacking side is tailored to that.
Aston Villa have a four player zonal structure and Leeds do have one player in the six-yard box. At the far post zone, we have three players of Leeds who will attempt to make a run towards goal. Just outside the penalty area, Leeds have two players who are tasked with clearances and rest-defence in case of a counter-attack.
The ball is played deep to the far post zone and a header is intended. The ball doesn’t connect well with the header or the defender, which leaves another one of those three players to be able to pick the ball up and convert it into a goal for Leeds.
In the video above you Leeds United U23 against Newcastle United U23. Leeds have a corner on the right, which is taken by left-footed player, which means the ball will swing in. The ball will be placed towards the six-yard box and the positioning of the attacking side is tailored to that.
Newcastle United have a three player zonal structure and Leeds do have one player in the six-yard box – who is man-marked. The front post is marked zonally, but there is space at the far post to be attacked. Leeds have five players who will make a run forwards, with three players looking to go centrally and two players to go to the front post. They also have one player outside the penalty area, who will guard the rest defence.
As soon as the ball is kicked we see the five players moving as a line forward to the penalty spot. The three front players move towards the front post, luring defenders with them. In doing so they create a 2v2 situation in the 11 meter zone. The ball doesn’t go as close to the six-yard box as thought and the attackers in the middle anticipate. They step back a fraction of a second earlier than their opponents, giving them time to be a threat. From this situation, Leeds scored an excellent header to give them the advantage.
Talking to some friend the other day and I was asked what I liked the most about football – the actual moment I could enjoy of a team. Many assume that I’m a very offensive-minded coach and analyst, but that’s not something I get the most satisfaction from.
In this article I will focus on something that a find very interesting: position-oriented marking in a 4-4-2. The reason why I’m writing this is because of the perception that defending with an unit is a very tough thing to do. In this analysis I will attempt the explain the basics using visualisations and explain the roles of the players in this specific 4-4-2.
The compact 4-4-2
In the image above you see the formation of two teams. The blue team lines up in a 4-4-2 formation and the orange formation lines up in a 4-2-3-1 team. In this analysis I will focus on the blue team. First thing that you might notice is that the whole defensive line and midfield line are flat – this is something that is trained and coached, because it’s important for these lines to act as unit, hence the two lines of four.
The second thing is that the two strikers play in the same line or in the central zones, as the two central midfielders and the two central midfielder. This is done to always keep the balance horizontally and vertically – making sure that you are not overloaded in these area.
Obviously, these are starting positions for the teams, but a vital part of the 4-4-2 is that without the ball, the 4-4-2 remains deep and will act as a compact unit of two lines of four plus their strikers – which will make the type of zonal marking easier.
Position-oriented zonal marking Before I embark on the specifics of this type of zonal marking in my case study, I will have a look at what position-oriented zonal marking is. According to the wonderful people at Spielverlagerung it is as follows: “In position-oriented zonal marking, the player’s reference point is his “teammates”. The team simply operates in a closed block. This ‘block’ is nothing but a formation, in which the respective positions are clearly defined and a player “covers” his own position. The term position marking could also be used.”
It means that if the a player of the opposition is able to receive a pass, the closest player will go their and mark that certain area. As a consquence – in reference to the teammates – the other playes will move in that particular direction to, because they are a unit. In the case of our team, it means two lines of four in that particular type of zonal marking.
Zonal marking with 4-4-2
In the image above you see the pitch lined up when the orange team has the ball. In this scenaro either one of the central defenders has the ball and they try to progress on the pitch. The full backs remain wide, as do the wide-midfielder/wingers – and these are important to keep looking at.
The blue team defends and their formation changes slightly in position. The four-man defence and four-man midfield remain, while the two strikers assume a higher position on the pitch, against the double pivot employed by the opposition. What’s important that the compactness of those two lines of four remains and that they remain to defend on a line. The full-backs and wide-midfielder seem to in an unnatural position, but in this case, were they to progress, it would ruin the compact defensive set-up with two defensive lines.
In the image above you see a situation wherein the attacking side moves forward. The sole strikers plays between the lines, but the attacking midfield trio are playing in the central zones and half spaces. The left wide-midfielder/winger leaves the half space for the wide space, and in doing so progresses down the line. In reaction to that the right wide midfielder of the blue team goes closer to him, as the winger is entering his zone.
There are two things that were quite interesting in observing this kind of zonal marking. First of all, not the whole team participates in this zonal marking. The two strikers have a different scheme of marking – which I won’t go into here – and are not involved with position-oriented zonal marking. Their position isn’t compact either, so there is more space between them en the midfield-four.
The second things that’s interesting here is that when the right-wide midfielder goes to defend his zone and mark that zone, the whole defensive line will shift in the way it’s teammate does. So he goes up and right, which as a consequence sees seven other players do the same thing, therefore they move like a unit.
Function of the strikers
So as mention above, the two strikers do not interact with the zonal marking scheme. What I did find what was interesting, was how they were used in case of a transition. The zonal marking often proved to be successful and from that position, the blue team could get the ball and get it forward.
Now, the ball would be immediately played long towards either striker, but they were not the classical strikers you might expect in a 4-4-2. They both left their positions in the central zone and occupied the half-space zone. This allowed them to occupy positions to force the opposition to chose a defensive action, while the long ball was played from the compact defensive lines.
Set-pieces are not only corners. Corners might be the most obvious choice when you look at set-pieces, but freekicks and throw ins are a vital part of the game as well. My eyes have turned towards League Two and more specifically Cheltenham Town, who have been promoted to League One as champions of their league.
In this analysis I will look at how some of their attacking corners could be seen as a form of corners and in doing so I will look at the routines of the runners, positioning of other player and the behaviour of the team as a whole. I’ve looked at all of the 296 attacking throw ins and have identief five examples which serve as vehicle for this analysis.
Throw in #1
In the video above we see Cheltenham Town having a throw in from the right flank and the side is ready to throw the ball deep into the goalkeeper zone in order to create a goalscoring opportunity.
The ball is played deep and we see four players of Cheltenham in the six-yard box against man-markers which makes it a 4v4 situation. In the penalty area we see another player of Cheltenham moving into the six-yard box, but more centrally. Outside the penalty area we see two players on the edge and these players are both tasked with the cleared balls.
When the ball is thrown the players in the six-yard box move towards the front post, leaving more space in the goalkeeper zone and the far post zone, which the player on the left tries to occupy. The ball is cleared by the opposition, but one of the players outside the penalty area comes in and tries to shoot.
Throw in #2
In the video above, you see Cheltenham Town playing away at Newport County. The ball is being thrown from the left side and has to travel more distance, as it is more diagonally. You could compare this more to a freekick than to a corner.
This time there are four players in and around the six-yard box in the front post zone against four defender and the keeper – because the goalkeeper tries to claim the ball. Two player are standing in the 11 meter zone and are anticipating a ball to to the right, while the two players outside the penalty area anticipate a cleared ball.
When the ball is thrown the players near the six-yard box try to win the aerial duels with the goalkeeper trying to punch it away. The goalkeeper fails to do so and the ball goes towards the two players in the 11 meter zone who don’t score, but can have a shot on target after this throw in.
Throw in #3
In the video above we see Cheltenham Town having a throw in from the right flank and the side is ready to throw the ball deep into the goalkeeper zone in order to create a goalscoring opportunity.
The ball is played deep and we see four players of Cheltenham in the six-yard box against man-markers which makes it a 4v4 situation. In the penalty area we see another player of Cheltenham moving into the six-yard box, but he does this more to the far post zone. Outside the penalty area we see two players on the edge and these players are both tasked with the cleared balls, but also are tasked with the first line of defence in case of a counter-attack.
When the ball is thrown the players in the six-yard box move towards the front post, leaving more space in the goalkeeper zone and the far post zone, which the player on the left tries to occupy. The ball is headed by one of the four-man unit between the front post and goalkeeper zone, but there’s no goal in the end.
Throw in #4
In the video above, you see Cheltenham Town playing an away game. The ball is being thrown from the right side and has to travel more distance, as it is more diagonally. You could compare this more to a freekick than to a corner.
The ball is played deep and we see three players of Cheltenham in the six-yard box against man-markers which makes it a 3v3 situation, in the front post zone. In the penalty area we see another player of Cheltenham moving into the six-yard box, but he does this more to the goalkeeper post zone, and we also see another play who makes his way to the far post zone. Outside the penalty area we see two players on the edge and these players are both tasked with the cleared balls, but also are tasked with the first line of defence in case of a counter-attack.
The ball goes to the front post zone and the idea is to get the ball into the goalkeeper zone for the two players in that position to attack it, but the ball is cleared by the opposition and the danger has passed.
You will have guessed it by now, but I’m really interested in all things set-pieces. I’m definitely not the only one and I’m definitely not the only one writing about them, but I do have a preference for everything and anything that isn’t top 5 European leagues, and that’s what I plan on doing for the future.
In this article I turned to Italy again, just like my last analysis on Ternana. This time no Serie C or Serie, but the Primavera 1 – the highest U19 league of Italy. Currently on the 23rd matchday of 30, Sampodoria leads with 44 points, closely followed by Inter with 43 points and Roma with 42 points. An exciting league to follow and this is no different for the set-pieces.
In this analysis I will have a look at one successful routine per club in this current season. I’m looked at all routines that were successful and took one out of them that illustrated correctly why that particular routine is characteristic for that club. Ascoli has not been included as they haven’t scored a set-piece goal as of yet. The data was retrieved on Sunday 16th May 2021. Data and video are from Wyscout.
SampdoriaU19
In the video above we see Sampdoria U19 vs Genoa U19 in the Primavera. The corner is taken from the left with two players standing there. One to swing the ball in with his right foot and the other to swing the ball out with his left foot. Outside the penalty area we have two player: one close to the edge of the penalty area ready to anticipate any cleared balls. the other one does anticipate a counter-attack and looks after the rest defence.
The ball is taken short by the player with the right-foot and after that, the left-footed player crosses the ball towards the six-yard box. There are five players of Sampdoria who are tasked of making runs in that particular six-yard box against a five player zonal structure. In the end the ball is delivered to the far post and Sampdoria heads the ball home.
InterU19
In the video above we see Inter U19 vs Sassuolo U19 in the Primavera. The corner is taken from the left by a right-footed player, meaning the ball will swing in. Just outside the penalty area on the left we see a player from Inter for a short pass option. There are no players of Inter in the six-yard box, but deep in the far post zone we see six players of Inter who will make runs forward.
The ball is delivered towards the front post and that is the zone where the Inter players run to. Sassuolo employ a two player zonal structure and they are somewhat overloaded at the front post by the runners, making it easier for Inter to score a goal. The header is guided towards the far post and it’s a goal for Inter.
Roma
In the video above we see Roma U19 vs Cagliari U19 in the Primavera. The corner is taken from the left by a right-footed player, meaning the ball will swing in. We see two players just outside the penalty box who will run as a unit towards the front post. We see one players in the six-yard box and three runners centrally who will run towards the six-yard box. At the far post there is a player who will anticipate a deep ball.
The ball is delivered towards the far post towards the player standing there. He guids the ball back into the six-yard box where six players are standing ready to attack the ball. The ball lands at the edge of the six-yard box and Roma can score a goal.
Juventus U19
In the video above we see Juventus U19 vs Torino U19 in the Primavera. The corner is taken from the right by a right-footed player, meaning the ball will swing out. We see one player in the six-yard box with four players making runs into the six-yard box. On the edge of the penalty area we have two players who are tasked with the cleared balls and the rest defence in case of a counter-attack.
The ball is delivered to the central zone, but is headed out the zone by the defenders of Torino, who play in a five player zonal structure. The ball is cleared and goes to the edge of the box – where one player of Juventus picks the ball up and shoots the ball into the top corner.
EmpoliU19
In the video above we see Empoli U19 vs Milan U19 in the Primavera. The corner is taken from the left by a left-footed player, meaning the ball will swing out. Milan employs a four player zonal structure and we can see that five players of Empoli make a run towards the six-yard box in order to attack the ball. On the edge of the penalty box we see another player who is tasked with the rest defence, but also concentrates on the cleared balls.
As soon as the ball is kicked we see the runners move into the six-yard box, especially surrounding the placement of the ball – which is located in the central zone. The keeper gets it as first, but then he drops it and Empoli can score one of the easiest goals of the season.
Atalanta U19
In the video above we see Atalanta U19 vs Ascoli U19 in the Primavera. The corner will be taken short with two players of Atalanta occupying the corner. In the six-yard box we see one player and in the penalty area we have two players ready to make a run, with a third one coming from outside the penalty area. Deeper outside the penalty area we have a player tasked with defensive duties and the cleared balls.
The ball is kicked short and then the cross comes from a right-footed player as an outswinging cross. That’s the idea, but instead, he passes it to the player on the backline and his pass into the box makes sure that there is more danger. The ball is delivered in the central zone and Atalanta manage to score a header from this position.
SPAL U19
In the video above we see SPAL U19 vs Ascoli U19 in the Primavera. The corners comes from the right from a left-footed player, meaning the ball will swing in towards the six-yard box. Ascoli has a one player zonal structure with two players of SPAL in the six-yard box. Four players will make runs into the six-yard box.
The ball is played deep to the far post, because space has been created there. This is possible of the runs of the other players to the front post, luring defenders with them – thus creating space at the far post and leading to a header that leads to a goal against Ascoli.
Milan U19
In the video above we see Milan U19 vs Sassuolo U19 in the Primavera. The corners comes from the left from a right-footed player, meaning the ball will swing in towards the six-yard box. Sassuolo has a one player zonal structure with no players of Milan in that six-yard box, but six players will make a run towards it because of the trajectory of the ball.
The ball is played just behind the front post zone, and all players that make runs go to the six-yard box to occupy a space to attack. At the edge of the penalty area another player is arriving to assist with cleared balls or rest defence, but the ball is scored with a header inside the six-yard box by Milan.
Sassuolo U19
In the video above we see Sassuolo U19 vs Lazio U19 in the Primavera. The corners comes from the right from a left-footed player, meaning the ball will swing in towards the six-yard box. Lazio has a two player zonal structure with one player of Sassuolo in that six-yard box, but four players will make a run towards it because of the trajectory of the ball. Outside the penalty area we see two players tasked with cleared balls and the rest defence in case of a counter-attack.
What is interesting is that Lazio tries to zonal mark the space in front of the front post, which gaves Sassuolo the edge to deliver the ball just behind that space and the front post. The runners recognise that and can head the ball into goal quite easily at the front post.
Genoa U19
In the video above we see Genoa U19 vs Roma U19 in the Primavera. The corner comes from the right from a right-footed player, meaning the ball will swing out away from the six-yard box. Roma has a two player zonal structure with one player of Genoa in that six-yard box, but four players will make a run towards it because of the trajectory of the ball. Outside the penalty area we see one player tasked with cleared balls and the rest defence in case of a counter-attack.
The majority of the players went to the front post, opening up space for the players at the far post because the defenders have been lured away. The ball is delivered in the far central zone, but Genoa still manages to score from there.
Cagliari U19
In the video above we see Cagliari U19 vs Empoli U19 in the Primavera. The corner comes from the left from a left-footed player, meaning the ball will swing out away from the six-yard box. Empoli has a two player zonal structure with no players of Cagliari in the six-yard box, but there are six runners who will make a move into the six-yard box.
As soon as the ball is taken from the corner to the far post, we see the group of runners dividie: players to the front post to lure defenders away and players to the central zone/far post zone who will attack the corner. In the end the ball is not directly converted into a goal, but the dominance of the central zones is of huge importance.
Bologna U19
In the video above we see Bologna U19 vs Lazio U19 in the Primavera. The corner comes from the right from a right-footed player, meaning the ball will swing out away from the six-yard box. Lazio has a four player zonal structure with no players of Bologna in the six-yard box, but there are five runners who will make a move into the six-yard box. The player outside the penalty area is tasked with the cleared balls.
Lazio plays with two lines of zonal defence and Bologna tries to make use of that by making runs in between the lines and delivering the ball there. The ball is not directly converted into a goal, but the ball is delivered in the central zone at the correct position to deliver it into a goal.
FiorentinaU19
In the video above we see Fiorentina U19 vs Roma U19 in the Primavera. The corner comes from the right from a left-footed player, meaning the ball will swing in towards the six-yard box. Roma has a three player zonal structure with no players of Fiorentina in the six-yard box, but there are five runners who will make a move into the six-yard box. The three players outside the penalty area are tasked with the cleared balls and rest defence, but they are man-marked by Roma.
The ball is played between the central zone and the far post zone, because there is the most space of all. The most players run towards the front post and the defenders go with the, thus creating more space at the far post. The goal is a bit lucky, but nonetheless a consequence of the runs made towards the front post.
Lazio U19
In the video above we see Lazio U19 vs Bologna U19 in the Primavera. The corner comes from the right from a left-footed player, meaning the ball will swing in towards the six-yard box. Bologna has a two player zonal structure with four players of Lazio in and around the six-yard box, and with one runner who will make a move into the six-yard box. The three players outside the penalty area are tasked with the cleared balls and rest defence.
The ball is played between the central zone and the far post zone, because there is the most space of all. Most players run towards the front post and the defenders go with them, thus creating more space at the far post. The goal is a consequence from the above and winning the aerial duel in the six-yard box.
Torino U19
In the video above we see Torino U19 vs Milan U19 in the Primavera. The corner comes from the right from a left-footed player, meaning the ball will swing in towards the six-yard box. Milan has a four player zonal structure with three players of Torino in and around the six-yard box, and with two runners who will make a move into the six-yard box.
Every player of Torino bar one goes to the front post zone, luring the defenders with them – also the zonal markers which is a mistake. Because of that mistake the far post is completely free for Torino to attack and they convert this chance into a goal.
It’s a been a few days since I wrote the set-piece analysis, but today I’m writing another one. Today my eye turns toward Italy. The Serie C to be precise. In this set-piece analysis I will look at Ternana Calcio’s attacking corners in the Serie C of 2020-2021.
The Serie C is divided in several groups and Ternana Calcio is divided into group A. This season has been extremely fruitful for them as they have been promoted and will play in the Serie B in the 2021-2022 season, which will be quite the challenge. In this analysis I will look closely to their successful attacking corner routines, which proved vital in some phases of their games.
Ternana Calcio vs Bari
In the video above you can see Ternana in their game against Bari. The corner is taken from the right from a left-footed player, meaning the ball will swing in the penalty area. The ball will go towards the six-yard box, because of it. This means that the positioning of the runners will be closer to goal.
Bari has a one zonal player structure and he stays on the front post. In the penalty are we see that Bari plays man-marking which means that every player from Ternana is marked by a player from Bari. In the six-yard box we see three players of Ternana and on the penalty spot we see three players from Ternana as well, who are occupied with making runs into the six-yard box. On the right side we a player just inside the penalty area and just outside the penalty area, we see another player.
As soon as the ball is kicked we see movement from the players in the six-yard box to the front post. At the same time we see that the three runners break into a 2-1 formation, with one player joining the players at the front post – while the other two players are making a run to the far post. In the end the ball comes to the player at the far post and he scores.
Ternana Calcio vs Calcio Foggia
In the video above we see Ternana in their game against Foggia. The corner is taken from the right from a left-footed player, meaning the ball will swing in the penalty area. The ball will go towards the six-yard box, because of it. This means that the positioning of the runners will be closer to goal.
Foggia has a two player zonal structure (the video has a typo). We see one player of Ternana in the six-yard box and one player outside the penalty area who is tasked with the cleared balls and the rest-defence. Ternana has five runners who all attempt to make runs into the six-yard box as soon as the ball is taken.
When the ball is kicked we see that the five runners all move forward, but not one of them goes to the same position as the other one. The ball is delivered into the front post and one of those five runners goes to that specific area, beats his marker and scores a header to give Ternana another goal.
Ternana Calcio vs Paganese Calcio 1926
In the video above we see Ternana in their game against Paganese. The ball is taken from the right from a right-footed player, meaning the ball will swing out towards the area between the six-yard box and the penalty spot. The position of the runners is a bit more conservative because of this.
Paganese has a two player zonal structure . We see one player of Ternana in the six-yard box and one player outside the penalty area who is tasked with the rest-defence or cleared balls. Inside the penalty area we see five runners from Ternana who will try to attack the outswinging ball.
The ball is played just outside the six-yard box and the man-marking means that Ternana needs to time their runs correctly. What they do in the deep far post zone is that they lure defenders to the far post, which creates more space in the central zones to attack the ball. The ball goes to the central zone and the header results in a goal.
Ternana Calcio vs SS Juve Stabia
In the video above we see Ternana in their game against Juve Stabia. The corner is taken from the right from a left-footed player, meaning the ball will swing in the penalty area. The ball will go towards the six-yard box, because of it. This means that the positioning of the runners will be closer to goal.
Juve Stabia has a six player zonal structure . We see one player of Ternana in the six-yard box and one player outside the penalty area who is tasked with the rest-defence or cleared balls. Inside the penalty area we see four runners from Ternana who will try to attack the inswinging ball.
As soon as the ball is kicked we see one player going past the front post, moving closer to the corner. This confuses some of the defenders and then another play creeps in the spot at the front post. Those two players combine to score the goal as the player closest to the corner flicks the ball to the front post, after which the other play can score the goal at the front post.
This is the 22nd day of consecutive writing and the 25th article that will be published. I don’t want to flex or anything, but I thought this asked for a rather different kind of article than I have written before. In this article I will look to combine something unmeasarable as confidence with opportunity.
Whenever a player scores a screamer from 30 meters it does something with a player in that match. He or she will feel more confident in attempting high-risk shots, passes or other actions. That’s definitely something that can be seen in that particular game. But this analysis does concentrate on something different. What does this mean in the long run, will the player attempt more of those shots after scoring that screamer?
In this analysis I will look to analyse this by looking at three players from Red Bull Salzburg in the Austrian 1. Bundesliga. I will analyse how many shots they have attempted in the season so far, how many goals have been scored from those opportunities and make a distinction which goals/attempts have been made from zone 14.
After doing this I will select a goal from each of the three players and see whether they have attempted more low xG shots than high xG shots, and whether they have tried to shoot more from zone 14, than before. I have chosen three players who scored the most goal for Red Bull Salzburg: Daka, Kiota and Berisha.
The data and video come from Wyscout and are from the 2020-2021 season.
Data analysis Before we go to the actual analysis of that what has been explained above, we are going to look at where the RB Salzburg players are in terms of shots, xG and goals in relation to the league and to to number two Rapid Wien. The dataframe consists of central forwards in the 2020-2021 Austrian Bundesliga season with a minimum of 800 minutes played in the league.
In the scatterplot above we see two metrics combined. On the X-axis we have the shots per 90 metrics to assess how many shots a player has per 90 minutes. And on the Y-axis we have the shots on target in %, to assess how much percentage of the shots taken will go on target. The dots in red represent players from Red Bull Salzburg.
When we look at the shots taken per 90 minutes we see that Okafor has 1,9 shots per 90, Adeyemi has 2,39shots per 90, Berisha has 3,39 shots per 90, Daka has 4,27 shots per 90 and Koita has 4,94 shots per 90.
When we look at the percentages of shots that go on target we see that Adeyemi has 42,31% on target, Daka has 51,14% on target, Berisha has 52,17% on target, Okofar has 58,82% on target and Koita 59,18% on target.
In the scatterplot above we can see the metrics of expected goals per 90 and goals per 90 combined. It tells us the probablity of a goal scored per 90 minutes and the the actual goals scored per 90 minutes. The Red Bull Salzburg players are represented via the red dots.
When we look at the expected goals per 90 minutes we see that Okafor has 0,27 xG per 90, Adeyemi has 0,35 xG per 90, Berisha has 0,68 xG per 90, Daka has 0,99 xG per 90 and Koita has 1,18 shots per 90.
When we look at the goals per 90 minutes we see that Okafor has 0,56 goals per 90, Adeyemi has 0,46goals per 90, Berisha has 0,54 goals per 90, Daka has 1,17 goals per 90 and Koita has 1,41 goals per 90.
The three players we are looking at for this analysis are Berisha, Daka and Koita. Daka has scored 24 goals with an xG of 20,3. Berisha has scored 11 goals with an xG of 13,82, and Koita has scored 14 goals with an xG of 11,67. In the scatterplots above you see how well they are performing against the strikers of Rapid Wien.
Zone 14 You probably have heard of zone 14 – even if you don’t exactly know what it is. Zone 14 is used a lot to develop and analyse attacking creativity in terms of decisive attacking options.
Credit: Spielverlagerung
In the image above you see a football pitch divided in a 6×3 grid. The zone in red is zone 14 and it’s the zone that starts from the lines of the six-yard box, but is outside the penalty area. From this area there is a high success from creating goalscoring opportunities, as a lot of assists come from that particular area.
I’m not looking at assists in this analysis, but at shots. Often, the zone 14 becomes a good zone to shoot from as the opposition makes sure to overload the penalty area. This is especially the case when the team in possession of the ball is quite dominant in their way of playing and the defending side needs to be compacted in the defensive third.
So, strikers and attacking midfielders try to shoot from this particular area because the pressing or overloads are not as present as in the penalty area. The expected goals from this particular zone is lower and therefore these goals are less frequent, but do show great ability of the attacking player.
Expected goals by players
Player
xG low (0-0,4)
xG middle (0,4-0,6)
xG High (0,6-1)
Daka
44
2
4
Berisha
58
4
4
Koita
44
2
4
In the table above you see the different xG types in the games played by Red Bull Salzburg. They all take a big number of low xG shots and all have the same number of high xG shots, but that has mostly to do with them tacking penalties as well. Only Berisha has slight more middle xG shots, which is interesting as we move forward.
Daka – shot locations
Daka has taken 88 shots in all games in the 2020-2021 Austrian Bundesliga season. 24 of those shots resulted in a goal for Daka, which is a conversion rate of 27,27%. In the image below you can see the locations of all the shots by Daka.
In the image above we see all 88 shots taken bij Daka in this season so far. The grey dots stand for the shots taken that and the red dots indicate the goals scored in this season. If we look at shots placed in the zone 14, we see 9 shots that have been taken in that particular zone and we now want to find out what made him shoot more from distance.
Daka’s qualities lie within the penalty area and as you can see, all of his goals have been scored from that. However, he does attempt to shoot more from distance, as you can see by the grey dots outside the penalty area and we can see a trend. After he scores 3 goals from 3 shots in his games against Hartberg, Ried and Altach (within his first 15 shots of the season) – he seems to grow more confident in his abilities and attempts to shoot more from distance. Before those three goals, he attempted one shot outside the penalty box. After those three goals, he attempted six shots in 30 from zone 14.
Match
Date
Minutes played
Goals
Shots / on target
xG
Sturm Graz – Salzburg 1:3
2021-05-09
66
0
4
3
0,82
Salzburg – Wolfsberger AC 1:1
2021-04-28
49
0
2
0
0,8
Wolfsberger AC – Salzburg 1:2
2021-04-25
82
1
7
4
1,74
WSG Swarovski Tirol – Salzburg 3:2
2021-04-21
49
0
3
0
0,96
Salzburg – LASK Linz 2:0
2021-04-18
90
0
2
0
0,18
Rapid Wien – Salzburg 0:3
2021-04-11
102
0
3
1
0,47
Salzburg – Sturm Graz 3:1
2021-04-04
95
3
5
4
1,86
LASK Linz – Salzburg 0:1
2021-03-20
94
1
2
1
0,3
Salzburg – Admira 3:1
2021-03-13
94
1
2
2
0,2
Salzburg – St. Pölten 4:1
2021-03-07
78
1
3
2
0,44
Sturm Graz – Salzburg 2:1
2021-02-28
61
1
1
1
0,76
Salzburg – Rapid Wien 4:2
2021-02-21
73
3
8
5
1,92
WSG Swarovski Tirol – Salzburg 2:4
2021-02-13
96
2
5
2
0,72
Salzburg – Austria Wien 3:1
2021-02-10
35
0
1
0
0,01
Hartberg – Salzburg 0:3
2021-01-30
88
1
2
1
0,33
Salzburg – Ried 3:0
2021-01-27
64
1
4
1
0,97
Rheindorf Altach – Salzburg 0:2
2021-01-24
82
1
3
1
0,35
Salzburg – Wolfsberger AC 2:3
2020-12-20
95
1
9
3
1,28
Salzburg – LASK Linz 3:1
2020-12-13
71
1
3
3
0,54
Admira – Salzburg 1:0
2020-12-05
62
0
2
1
0,26
Austria Wien – Salzburg 0:2
2020-10-24
32
1
1
1
0,72
Salzburg – Hartberg 7:1
2020-10-04
94
2
4
3
1,18
Ried – Salzburg 1:3
2020-09-26
34
1
1
1
0,33
Salzburg – Rheindorf Altach 4:1
2020-09-19
74
1
6
3
1,61
Wolfsberger AC – Salzburg 1:3
2020-09-13
94
1
5
2
1,55
The three goals he scored at the beginning of the season had a quite high xG: 0,88 vs Hartberg, 0,22 vs Ried, and 0,76 vs Altach. Obviously, this gave him a confidence boost in scoring goals, but not so much in shot locations (if we look at xG), because the shots in zone 14 had xG scores between 0,01 xG and 0,07 xG. The scored goals don’t indicate confidence in trying low xG shots from zone 14. After those three goals, he had 7 more xG shots that were higher than 0,6xG (with two penalties) – but they all were in the six-yard box, bar the two penalties.
What’s interesting is that he keeps scoring goals, but after 40 shots, he only attempts one shot in zone 14 in 48 shots. We cannot really see this in the data whether his confidence will grow or slink, but he continues to shoot more from the penalty area and in the six-yard box.
Berisha – Shot locations Berisha has taken 69 shots in all games in the 2020-2021 Austrian Bundesliga season. 11 of those shots resulted in a goal for Berisha, which is a conversion rate of 15,94%. In the image below you can see the locations of all the shots by Berisha.
In the image above we see all 69 shots taken by Berisha in this season so far. The grey dots stand for the shots taken that and the red dots indicate the goals scored in this season. If we look at shots placed in zone 14, we see 5 shots that have been taken in that particular zone and we now want to find out what made him shoot more from distance.
Berisha’s qualities lie within the penalty area and as you can see, all of his goals, bar one, have been scored from that. However, he does attempt to shoot more from distance, as you can see by the grey dots outside the penalty area and we can see a trend. In the first 20 shots Berisha had in the season he managed to score 7 goals, which is more than half of his total of 11. One of these goals comes from outside the penalty. This gives him the freedom and confidence to shoot a lot, and he wants to replicate that. We see that in the rest of the 48 shots where he shoots 5 times from zone 14.
Match
Date
Minutes played
Goals
Shots / on target
xG
Sturm Graz – Salzburg 1:3
2021-05-09
79
0
3
0
0,15
Salzburg – Wolfsberger AC 1:1
2021-04-28
60
0
1
0
0,25
Wolfsberger AC – Salzburg 1:2
2021-04-25
74
1
5
4
0,94
WSG Swarovski Tirol – Salzburg 3:2
2021-04-21
47
0
4
3
1,71
Salzburg – LASK Linz 2:0
2021-04-18
95
1
5
2
1,21
Rapid Wien – Salzburg 0:3
2021-04-11
80
0
1
1
0,03
Salzburg – Sturm Graz 3:1
2021-04-04
92
0
3
2
0,36
LASK Linz – Salzburg 0:1
2021-03-20
74
0
3
1
0,8
Salzburg – St. Pölten 4:1
2021-03-07
94
1
5
2
1,17
Sturm Graz – Salzburg 2:1
2021-02-28
98
0
3
0
0,29
Salzburg – Rapid Wien 4:2
2021-02-21
94
0
3
2
0,33
WSG Swarovski Tirol – Salzburg 2:4
2021-02-13
96
1
5
2
1,36
Salzburg – Austria Wien 3:1
2021-02-10
73
0
4
2
1,23
Salzburg – Ried 3:0
2021-01-27
30
0
2
1
0,1
Rheindorf Altach – Salzburg 0:2
2021-01-24
72
0
1
1
0,17
Salzburg – Wolfsberger AC 2:3
2020-12-20
95
1
5
3
1,5
Salzburg – LASK Linz 3:1
2020-12-13
71
1
3
1
0,39
Admira – Salzburg 1:0
2020-12-05
25
0
1
0
0,01
St. Pölten – Salzburg 2:8
2020-11-28
59
1
2
2
0,57
Salzburg – Sturm Graz 1:3
2020-11-21
96
1
2
1
0,19
Rapid Wien – Salzburg 1:1
2020-11-08
97
0
2
2
0,33
Austria Wien – Salzburg 0:2
2020-10-24
64
1
3
2
0,33
Ried – Salzburg 1:3
2020-09-26
75
2
3
2
0,4
Salzburg – Rheindorf Altach 4:1
2020-09-19
32
0
0
0
0
Wolfsberger AC – Salzburg 1:3
2020-09-13
61
0
0
0
0
The goal that gave him the confidence to shoot from outside the penalty area was against Sturm Graz and has an xG of 0,02. Obviously, this gave him a confidence boost in scoring goals, and he was looking to replicate it from those locations in zone 14. He had 5 more shots from zone 14 and they had a similar xG to the goal: between 0,02 xG and 0,04 xG. However, after trying a lot to score from low xG positions (outside the penalty area + on edge penalty area) he didn’t score after 25 shots and started shooting more again from positions with a higher xG per shot.
Koita – shot locations
Koita has taken 49 shots in all games in the 2020-2021 Austrian Bundesliga season. 14 of those shots resulted in a goal for Koita, which is a conversion rate of 28,57%. In the image below you can see the locations of all the shots by Koita.
In the image above we see all 49 shots taken by Koita in this season so far. The grey dots stand for the shots taken that and the red dots indicate the goals scored in this season. If we look at shots placed in zone 14, we see 4 shots that have been taken in that particular zone and we now want to find out what made him shoot more from distance.
Koita’s qualities lie within the penalty area and as you can see, all of his goals, have been scored from that. However, he does attempt to shoot from distance, as you can see by the grey dots outside the penalty area and we can see a trend. What’s particularly interesting about this is that the shots from zone 14 only appear after 40 shots taken in the league and don’t have any significance to a goal from distance, as the chances Koita has are all from a higher xG.
Match
Date
Minutes played
Goals
Shots / on target
xG
WSG Swarovski Tirol – Salzburg 2:4
2021-02-13
37
1
2
1
0,89
Salzburg – Austria Wien 3:1
2021-02-10
84
1
5
2
1,09
Hartberg – Salzburg 0:3
2021-01-30
72
1
2
1
0,95
Salzburg – Ried 3:0
2021-01-27
94
1
2
2
0,32
Rheindorf Altach – Salzburg 0:2
2021-01-24
23
0
1
0
0,04
Salzburg – LASK Linz 3:1
2020-12-13
24
0
2
2
0,12
Admira – Salzburg 1:0
2020-12-05
35
0
3
0
0,09
St. Pölten – Salzburg 2:8
2020-11-28
36
3
4
4
1,51
Salzburg – Sturm Graz 1:3
2020-11-21
40
0
1
1
0,32
Rapid Wien – Salzburg 1:1
2020-11-08
76
1
3
2
0,55
Salzburg – WSG Swarovski Tirol 5:0
2020-10-31
33
2
5
3
1,76
Austria Wien – Salzburg 0:2
2020-10-24
83
0
5
3
0,47
Salzburg – Hartberg 7:1
2020-10-04
94
2
4
4
0,97
Ried – Salzburg 1:3
2020-09-26
65
0
4
1
1,31
Salzburg – Rheindorf Altach 4:1
2020-09-19
64
1
3
2
0,89
Wolfsberger AC – Salzburg 1:3
2020-09-13
33
1
3
1
0,39
The goal on the edge of the box had an xG of 0,05. The three other shots attempted from zone 14 had xG between 0,02 and 0,03. So they somewhat resemble that goal on the edge of the penalty area/zone 14 – but they are not a direct consequence of that action.
Flaws in this analysis Going into this analysis I had an open mind of where it could lead – I thought. The things is that I wanted to explore how much the strikers gained confidence when scoring from zone 14, but there were a few flaws in my thinking. I didn’t consider the fact that Red Bull Salzburg play a style that doens’t involve a lot of striker shooting action in that particular zone, but more in the six-yard box.
A second thing I didn’t take into consideration was the fact that the position of strikers were not optimal for this type of analysis. If I would do this again, I would choose attacking midfielders or advanced central midfielders, as they are more natural in that particular area or zone.
The last thing I didn’t take into consideration – but a conscious decision – was the psychological factor. Confidence has everything to do with one’s perception of themselves. If a player fairs greatly with scoring, then this could be a huge factor within his play. Some players need that particular confidence to thrive. Others don’t need external factors to thrive and therefore are not affected as much as other players.
Conclusion There were some flaws in my analysis, but it was interesting to see the reaction of certain players in looking for similar xG shot locations. Daka seemed to be affected at first when he scored a few good goals, but they were not from a low xG location. His confidence to shoot from zone 14 grew because of his goals scored. Berisha attempted more from distance and was more present in zone 14. He tried to score more form zone 14 after he scored, but his production from this zone became less after 25 shots without any goal. Koita was not affected by the above, but a reason for this is that he didn’t score from zone 14 and that his most successful actions game from within the penalty area.
As said above, the physical event of scoring a low xG goal or a goal from zone 14 can influence the confidence of a player, but without looking at psychological factors, opposition and form – it’s hard to tell for 100%.
The Eredivisie 2020-2021 season is coming to a close. The champion has been known for quite some time now, but the battle for relegation and the European play-off spots are widely entertaining. And you should definitely look at the two last matchdays. Joy and heartbreak are close companions. How much I would love to chat about the emotions behind one of the most fun leagues in the world, this article will contain an analysis.
In this article, I will look at the formations used by every single club in the Eredivisie 2020-2021 season until matchday 33. I’m looking at matchday 1 till 32. In this analysis, I will look at the number of different formations used, which one is the most popular, and whether the formation changes when dealing with stronger/weaker opponents. In the last part, I will analyse whether these most-used formations can be seen as progressive or conservative.
One little disclaimer, this analysis is purely based on data from Wyscout and therefore doesn’t deal with certain roles. For example, a 4-4-2 can be with two strikers, but also with two false 9’s – this is not something I go into, I’m basing myself purely on the data. I have excluded the formations which are employed when receiving a red card, this and the fact that Wyscout doesn’t give all the percentages (when you add every it’s not 100%) – but I still wanted to go forward, to give an idea of the formations used.
Ajax Ajax are league leaders and crowned champions of this season. From the 32 games played this season, Ajax has won 26, drew 4 and lost 2 games. They have accumulated 82 points, scored 96 goals and conceded 21.
Formation
Percentage used
4-2-3-1
44%
4-3-3
33%
4-2-1-3
3%
4-1-4-1
3%
4-2-2-2
2%
4-4-2
1%
If we look at the table above we see that in 79% of the time, Ajax play in either a 4-2-3-1 formation with a double pivot and four attackers or with a more traditional 4-3-3 – which features one holding midfielder and two more advanced central midfielders/attacking midfielders. Ajax loves to play the majority of its games with wingers, as that utilises their philosophy the most.
PSV PSV currently are second, but that place has not been confirmed yet. From the 32 games played this season, PSV has won 20, drew 8, and lost 4 games. They have accumulated 68 points, scored 69 goals, and conceded 32.
Formation
Percentage used
4-4-2
61%
4-2-2-2
9%
4-3-3
9%
4-2-3-1
5%
4-5-1
2%
4-4-1-1
2%
4-3-1-2
1%
5-3-2
1%
4-1-3-2
1%
If we look at the table above we see that in 61% of the time, PSV play in a 4-4-2 formation and 9% of the time in a 4-2-2-2 formation. These two formations can be merged in percentages, as the 4-4-2 often represents itself as a 4-2-2-2 on the field, which together makes 70% of the games played in the Eredivisie. The 4-3-3 and 4-2-3-1 are used with 14% combined, but the favourite formation for PSV is with two strikers up top.
AZ AZ currenly are third, but still battling for place two. From the 32 games played this season, AZ has won 20, drew 7 and lost 5 games. They have accumulated 67 points, scored 70 goals and conceded 41.
Formation
Percentage used
4-2-3-1
60%
4-3-3
10%
4-4-2
6%
4-4-1-1
6%
3-4-3
2%
4-3-2-1
1%
4-3-1-2
1%
If we look at the table above we see that in 60% of the time, AZ play in a 4-2-3-1 formation and 10% of the time in a 4-3-3 formation. These are the most used formations by AZ and make up for 70% of the formations used in the Eredivisie this season. They love to play with wingers and a striker, which can be seen in those two formations. The 4-4-2 and 4-4-1-1 are used as well, but then AZ play with wide midfielders down the line.
Vitesse Vitesse currently are fourth, trying to secure that place. From the 32 games played this season, Vitesse has won 18, drew 6 and lost 8 games. They have accumulated 60 points, scored 48 goals and conceded 32.
Formation
Percentage used
3-4-1-2
43%
4-3-1-2
15%
3-5-2
14%
5-3-2
5%
3-4-3
2%
4-1-3-2
1%
If we look at the table above we see that in 43% of the time, Vitesse play in a 3-4-1-2 formation and 14% of the time in a 3-5-2 formation, and 2% of the time in a 3-4-3 formation. We can state that in 59% of the games, Vitesse loves to use a back-three. 5% of the games are played in 5-3-2, which means that only 16% of the games has been played with a back-four.
Feyenoord Feyenoord currently are fifth, and their objective is to reach fourth place, but that would prove to be incredibly hard. From the 32 games played this season, Feyenoord has won 15, drew 10, and lost 7 games. They have accumulated 55 points, scored 60 goals, and conceded 35.
Formation
Percentage used
4-3-3
33%
4-1-4-1
20%
4-2-3-1
16%
4-3-1-2
4%
5-4-1
2%
5-3-2
1%
3-5-1-1
1%
4-5-1
1%
4-4-2
1%
4-4-1-1
1%
If we look at the table above we see that in 33% of the time, Feyenoord play in a 4-3-3 formation and 20% of the time in a 4-1-4-1 formation, and 16% of the time in a 4-2-3-1 formation. We can state that in 69% of the games, Feyenoord plays with a back-four and occupies wingers/wide midfielders.
FC Utrecht FC Utrecht currently are sixth, and in theory could overtake Feyenoord if everything goes their way, but that would prove quite the challenge. From the 32 games played this season, Vitesse has won 13, drew 12, and lost 7 games. They have accumulated 51 points, scored 51 goals, and conceded 40.
Formation
Percentage used
4-2-3-1
56%
4-3-3
17%
4-4-2
10%
4-3-1-2
3%
4-4-1-1
3%
If we look at the table above we see that in 56% of the time, FC Utrecht play in a 4-2-3-1 formation. We can also see that FC Utrecht doesn’t deviate from their set formation, as the 4-2-3-1 formation, 4-3-3 formation, and the 4-4-2 formation – are 83% of the games.
FC Groningen FC Groningen is on their way back to compete for the European places and are currently seventh. From the 32 games played this season, FC Groningen has won 14, drew 7, and lost 11 games. They have accumulated 49 points, scored 40 goals, and conceded 36.
Formation
Percentage used
4-2-3-1
26%
5-3-2
10%
3-4-1-2
9%
3-4-2-1
9%
5-4-1
7%
4-4-2
5%
3-4-3
3%
3-5-2
3%
3-5-1-1
1%
4-1-3-2
1%
If we look at the table above we see that FC Groningen has played 10 different formations during the 2020-2021 season, with 25% of the games played with a back-three. This not-traditional approach is quite remarkable, but most games have been played under the 4-2-3-1.
Sparta Rotterdam Sparta Rotterdam currently are eight and are doing very well. Considered to battle against relegation they are up there to battle for the European play-off places. From the 32 games played this season, Sparta Rotterdam has won 13, drew 12, and lost 7 games. They have accumulated 43 points, scored 47 goals, and conceded 47.
Formation
Percentage used
4-4-2
30%
4-2-3-1
21%
4-4-1-1
16%
4-3-1-2
8%
5-3-2
7%
4-1-4-1
2%
3-4-1-2
2%
If we look at the table above we see that Sparta has played 7 different formations during the 2020-2021 season, with 77% of the games played with a back-four. The foundation is a back four with in most cases a midfield of at least four players.
Heracles Almelo Heracles Almelo are on the nineth place and are having an average season. Too good for relegation football, but not good enough to challenge a lot more. Still they are in the race for European football places. From the 32 games played this season, Heracles Almelo has won 13, drew 12, and lost 7 games. They have accumulated 43 points, scored 41 goals, and conceded 47.
Formation
Percentage used
4-4-2
24%
4-2-3-1
23%
4-4-1-1
14%
4-3-3
8%
5-3-2
7%
4-3-1-2
3%
4-3-2-1
2%
If we look at the table above we see that Heracles Almelo has played 7 different formations during the 2020-2021 season, with 74% of the games played with a back-four. The foundation is a back four with in most cases a midfield of at least four players. The majority has been played with a four-man midfield with a form of two strikers.
Fortuna Sittard Fortuna Sittard are on the tenth place and are having a good second half of the season after starting with some troubles. They are also in the conversation fror European football and that would be a huge achievement. From the 32 games played this season, Heracles Almelo has won 12, drew 14, and lost 16 games. They have accumulated 40 points, scored 46 goals, and conceded 53.
Formation
Percentage used
4-4-1-1
28%
4-2-3-1
20%
4-3-3
11%
4-4-2
10%
4-3-1-2
8%
4-1-4-1
7%
5-3-2
2%
3-4-1-2
2%
If we look at the table above we see that Fortuna Sittard has played 8 different formations during the 2020-2021 season, with 69% of the games played with a 4-4-11, a 4-2-3-1, a 4-3-3 or a 4-4-2 formation. The formations that haven’t been played with a back-four only make up for 4%.
SC Heerenveen SC Heerenveen are in eleventh place and are having a disappointing season. A club like Heerenveen should battle for European places, but at the moment they seem to miss out on that. From the 32 games played this season, SC Heerenveen has won 9, drew 12, and lost 11 games. They have accumulated 39 points, scored 41 goals, and conceded 44.
Formation
Percentage used
4-2-3-1
46%
4-4-2
19%
4-4-1-1
11%
5-4-1
8%
4-3-3
4%
4-3-1-2
2%
If we look at the table above we see that SC Heerenveen has played 6 different formations during the 2020-2021 season, with 76% of the games played with a 4-2-3-1, a 4-4-2 or a 4-4-1-1 formation. The formations that haven’t been played with a back-four only make up for 8%.
FC Twente FC Twente are in twelfth place and are having a season of mixed emotions. The former title winner is looking to restore its former glory, but is also just a few years back in the Eredivisie. From the 32 games played this season, FC Twente has won 9, drew 11, and lost 12 games. They have accumulated 38 points, scored 44 goals, and conceded 46.
Formation
Percentage used
4-2-3-1
45%
4-3-3
37%
4-1-4-1
10%
If we look at the table above we see that FC Twente has only played 3 different formations during the 2020-2021 season, with variations that resemble the same sort of formation: 4-2-3-1, 4-3-3 and 4-1-4-1.
PEC Zwolle PEC Zwolle are in thirteenth place and are done. They haven’t had any form of outstanding performances this season, but are safe from relegation. From the 32 games played this season, PEC Zwolle has won 8, drew 11, and lost 13 games. They have accumulated 35 points, scored 41 goals, and conceded 49.
Formation
Percentage used
4-3-3
63%
4-2-3-1
13
4-1-4-1
10
If we look at the table above we see that PEC Zwolle has only played 3 different – just like FC Twente – formations during the 2020-2021 season, with variations that resemble the same sort of formation: 4-3-3, 4-2-3-1 and 4-1-4-1.
RKC Waalwijk RKC Waalwijk are in fourteenth place and are anything but done. They are in the best position to escape direct relegation or relegation play-offs, but are still not there yet. From the 32 games played this season, RKC Waalwijk has won 6, drew 9, and lost 17 games. They have accumulated 27 points, scored 35 goals, and conceded 51.
Formation
Percentage used
4-2-3-1
63%
4-4-1-1
8%
4-1-4-1
7%
4-3-3
4%
4-3-2-1
3%
4-4-2
1%
If we look at the table above we see that RKC Waalwijk has played 6 different formations during the 2020-2021 season, with all games playing a formation with a back-four with a strong preference for the 4-2-3-1 formation.
Willem II After RKC Waalwijk, Willem II are the most fortunate to get out of the relegation troubles, in fiftheenth place. But it’s tight. From the 32 games played this season, Willem II has won 6, drew 7, and lost 19 games. They have accumulated 25 points, scored 34 goals, and conceded 66.
Formation
Percentage used
4-2-3-1
56%
4-4-2
18%
4-4-1-1
5%
4-3-3
3%
5-4-1
2%
4-1-4-1
2%
If we look at the table above we see that Willem II has played 6 different formations during the 2020-2021 season, with all games playing a formation with a back-four with a strong preference for the 4-2-3-1 formation. The only formation that hasn’t got a back-four is the 5-4-1 formation.
FC Emmen FC Emmen looked dead and burried, but are still in the race to stay up, in sixteenth place. But everything comes down to these last two games. Right now they stand on the place for the relegation play-offs. From the 32 games played this season, FC Emmen has won 5, drew 9, and lost 18 games. They have accumulated 24 points, scored 33 goals, and conceded 67.
Formation
Percentage used
4-2-3-1
57%
4-4-2
15%
4-1-4-1
4%
4-4-1-1
2%
4-3-3
1%
4-5-1
1%
If we look at the table above we see that FC Emmen has played 6 different formations during the 2020-2021 season, with all games playing a formation with a back-four with a strong preference for the 4-2-3-1 formation and the 4-4-2 formation.
VVV-Venlo VVV-Venlo had a very good position to stay up in January but has to do everything they can do not get relegated directly, in seventeenth place. From the 32 games played this season, VVV-Venlo has won 6, drew 5, and lost 21 games. They have accumulated 23 points, scored 42 goals, and conceded 84.
Formation
Percentage used
4-1-4-1
22%
4-2-3-1
17%
4-4-2
16%
4-3-3
13%
4-3-1-2
6%
4-4-1-1
5%
3-4-2-1
3%
3-4-1-2
2%
4-1-3-2
1%
If we look at the table above we see that VVV-Venlo has played 9 different formations during the 2020-2021 season, with four formations being used a lot: 4-1-4-1 formation, 4-2-3-1 formation, 4-4-2 formation and the 4-3-3 formation. There have been two formations with a back-three, but they make up only 5% of the used formations in games.
ADO Den Haag ADO Den Haag really looked they were finished, but in the last two games they had back to back victories, and still have a chance to stay up. From the 32 games played this season, ADO Den Haag has won 4, drew 10, and lost 18 games. They have accumulated 22 points, scored 26 goals, and conceded 69.
Formation
Percentage used
4-2-3-1
17%
4-1-4-1
16%
4-3-3
12%
4-4-2
10%
4-4-1-1
9%
3-4-1-2
4%
5-3-2
4%
3-4-2-1
3%
4-3-1-2
2%
5-4-1
2%
If we look at the table above we see that ADO Den Haag has played 10 different formations during the 2020-2021 season, with all formations being used quite equally. They have also used formations that have a back-three of a back-five, which can be seen in the table above.
Conclusions If we look at all the formations used by the teams we can conclude a few things. The 4-3-3, the 4-2-3-1 and the 4-4-2 are the most used as the all use wingers/wide midfielders – which is something that is coached and encourages a lot in the Netherlands. This is considered to be the default.
If you play with a back-five, you are considered to have a defensive approach and your emphasis lies on defending rather than attacking. It doesn’t matter how the roles/positions are in these formations – it’s considered to be defensive and used when confronting a stronger opponent.
On the other hand if you play with a back-three you are seen as very progressive and an attacking-minded side, which is different from the default of four at the back, three midfielders and three attackers. The 4-3-3 might be a little bit outdated, but the idea of playing with wingers is very present in the Netherlands, especially with Dutch coaches.
Earlier this week I wrote about OH Leuven’s attacking corners. I didn’t only look at their routines but also had a look at their deliveries, the expected goals generated per corner, and the average xG generated by corner type. I’m going to do this as well, but this time concentrating on the Women’s Super League in England.
In this analysis I will look closely to the top-4 in England: Chelsea, Manchester City, Arsenal, and Manchester United. I will analyse their expected goals from corners, how their deliveries are, their average xG per corner type, and some of their successful corner routines. This is part two and will look at Arsenal and Manchester United.
I’ve chosen to look at the top-4 because I wanted to get a better idea of what the corners are in the WSL and because these top-4 teams, also are the top-4 when it comes to scored goals from corners. To get a good view of the attacking corners in this particular league, these teams are definitely worth watching in my opinion. I’m going to look at their last 4/5 games of the WSL 2020-2021 season to assess the generated xG.
Arsenal
Expected goals per corner
Game
Side
Foot
Swing
Zonal structure
Length
Zone
xG
Goal
Minute
Everton
Right
Left
In
Two player
Long
Far post
0
No
4
Everton
Right
Right
Out
Two player
Long
Front post
0,01
No
14
Everton
Right
Left
In
Two player
Long
Central
0
No
30
Everton
Left
Left
Out
Two player
Long
Front post
0,05
No
67
West Ham United
Left
Right
In
Five player
Short
Central
0,27
No
3
West Ham United
Left
Left
Out
Five player
Long
Central
0,07
No
35
West Ham United
Right
Right
Out
Four player
Long
Far post
0
No
41
West Ham United
Right
Right
Out
Four player
Short
Front post
0
No
70
West Ham United
Right
Left
In
Four player
Long
Central
0
No
71
West Ham United
Right
Left
In
Four player
Long
Central
0,09
No
92
Brighton and Hove Albion
Left
Left
Out
Two player
Long
Far post
0,18
No
7
Brighton and Hove Albion
Right
Left
In
Two player
Long
Central
0
No
8
Brighton and Hove Albion
Right
Left
In
Four player
Short
Central
0,01
No
14
Brighton and Hove Albion
Right
Left
In
Four player
Long
Far post
0
No
23
Brighton and Hove Albion
Left
Left
Out
Four player
Long
Central
0
No
23
Brighton and Hove Albion
Right
Right
Out
Four player
Long
Far post
0
No
25
Brighton and Hove Albion
Left
Right
In
Four player
Short
Front post
0
No
26
Brighton and Hove Albion
Right
Left
In
Four player
Long
Central
0
No
41
Brighton and Hove Albion
Right
Left
In
Four player
Long
Central
0
No
42
Brighton and Hove Albion
Left
Left
Out
Four player
Long
Central
0,01
No
44
Brighton and Hove Albion
Left
Left
Out
Four player
Long
Central
0,43
No
45
Brighton and Hove Albion
Left
Left
Out
Four player
Long
Central
0
No
57
Brighton and Hove Albion
Left
Left
Out
Four player
Long
Far post
0,08
No
94
Bristol City
Right
Right
Out
Six player
Long
Central
0
No
14
Bristol City
Right
Right
Out
Six player
Long
Front post
0
No
31
Bristol City
Right
Right
Out
Five player
Short
Front post
0
No
31
Bristol City
Left
Right
In
Five player
Long
Central
0,16
No
37
Bristol City
Left
Right
In
Five player
Long
Front post
0
No
39
Bristol City
Right
Left
In
Five player
Short
Central
0
No
42
Bristol City
Left
Right
In
Five player
Long
Far post
0
No
47
Bristol City
Left
Left
Out
Five player
Long
Central
0
No
75
Bristol City
Right
Left
In
Five player
Long
Central
0
No
82
Bristol City
Left
Left
Out
Five player
Long
Front post
0,05
No
86
Bristol City
Left
Right
In
Five player
Long
Central
0
No
88
In the table above you see every corner taken by Arsenal in their games against Everton, West Ham United, Brighton and Hove Albion, and Bristol City. What is interesting is that there are 34 corners taken by the Arsenal team, but 6 of those corners have been short. In total Arsenal have generated 1,41 expected goals from those 34 corners. That is an average of 0,415 xG per game via corners.
In the game against Everton, Arsenal have generated 0,06 xG. In their game against West Ham United, Arsenal have generated 0,43 xG. In their game against Brighton, Arsenal have generated 0,63 xG. In their game against Bristol City, Arsenal have generated 0,29 xG.
Corner type
Total xG
Average xG
Left
1,3
0,038235294
Right
0,11
0,036666667
Swing in
0,53
0,015588235
Swing out
0,88
0,025882353
Short
0,28
0,008235294
Long
1,13
0,033235294
Front post
0,11
0,003235294
Central
1,04
0,030588235
Far post
0,26
0,007058824
Two player zonal
0,24
0,007058824
Four player zonal
0,62
0,018235294
Five player zonal
0,55
0,016176471
Six player zonal
0
0
In the table above I’ve divided the corners into certain categories to assess how many xG has been generated per corner type. If we look at which side is most successful in generating that xG, then this is the left side. When we look whether short or long corners generate the most xG, then it is the long corner option.
When we have a look at which zone – the ball is being delivered into – generates the most xG in these games, then we can conclude that the central zone generates the most xG. Finally, if we look at the successful generating xG against certain zonal structures, we can conclude that Arsenal generates the most xG against four player zonal structures in the six-yard box.
Successful routines
In the video above we see attacking corner routine #1 from Arsenal. The corner comes from the left from a left-footed player, meaning the ball will swing out away from the six-yard box, rather than swing in. The position of the runners is deeper because the ball will come between six-yard box and penalty spot.
Arsenal lines up with one player in the six-yard box and with three player outside the six-yard box who will make runs forward. Two players are standing outside the penalty area in case of a cleared ball and/or as the first line of defence. They will make runs into the panty area as well. Deep outside the penalty are we have another Arsenal player
As soon as the ball is kicked, we see the three runners making runs, with two of them going to the front post, as well as the player in the six-yard box. They manage to lose their direct marker and this example it is Miedema who scores an excellent goal.
In the video above we see attacking corner routine #2 from Arsenal. The corner comes from the left from a left-footed player, meaning the ball will swing out away from the six-yard box, rather than swing in. The position of the runners is deeper because the ball will come between six-yard box and penalty spot.
Arsenal lines up with one player in the six-yard box and with five player outside the six-yard box who will make runs forward. Two players are standing outside the penalty area in case of a cleared ball and/or as the first line of defence. They will make runs into the panty area as well.
As soon as the ball is kicked, we see the five runners making runs. As the ball is played deep to the far post, we see that the players as a unit occupy the central zones and the far post zones. This means that Wubben-Moy can profit at the back post, because of the numbers in the six-yard box.
In the video above we see attacking corner routine #3 from Arsenal. The corner comes from the right from a left-footed player, meaning the ball will swing in towards the six-yard box, rather than swing out. The position of the runners is closer to the goal as the ball will be delivered close to the six-yard box.
There are three players outside the penalty area with two players close to the edge in the central zones, and one player on the right. There is one player in the six-yard box, while we have two units of two at the far post zones. These two units will attack the ball when it’s played close to the far post.
As soon as the ball is played, we can see that the ball is played to the far post zones and that the four players in those two units move to the far post. In the end, it’s Beattie from the unit close to the far post who heads the ball in goal.
Manchester United
Expected goals per corner
Game
Side
Foot
Swing
Zonal structure
Length
Zone
xG
Goal
Minute
Bristol City
Left
Right
In
Four player
Long
Front post
0,39
No
39
Bristol City
Right
Right
Out
Five player
Long
Central
0
No
43
Bristol City
Right
Right
Out
Five player
Long
Far post
0
No
67
Bristol City
Right
Right
Out
Five player
Long
Central
0
No
88
Tottenham Hotspur
Left
Right
In
Four player
Long
Far post
0,14
No
18
Tottenham Hotspur
Left
Right
In
Three player
Long
Far post
0
No
23
Tottenham Hotspur
Left
Right
In
Three player
Long
Central
0,01
No
72
Tottenham Hotspur
Left
Right
In
Three player
Long
Central
0
No
87
Brighton and Hove Albion
Right
Right
Out
Five player
Long
Central
0,03
No
26
Brighton and Hove Albion
Right
Right
Out
Five player
Long
Central
0,18
No
32
Brighton and Hove Albion
Right
Right
Out
Five player
Long
Front post
0
No
41
Brighton and Hove Albion
Right
Right
Out
Five player
Long
Far post
0,08
No
50
Brighton and Hove Albion
Left
Right
In
Five player
Long
Front post
0,02
No
53
Brighton and Hove Albion
Right
Right
Out
Five player
Long
Central
0,06
No
74
Brighton and Hove Albion
Right
Right
Out
Five player
Long
Central
0
No
82
Brighton and Hove Albion
Left
Right
In
Five player
Long
Central
0,15
No
90
West Ham United
Left
Right
In
Five player
Long
Central
0,01
No
13
West Ham United
Right
Right
Out
Five player
Long
Far post
0,35
No
36
West Ham United
Left
Right
In
Five player
Long
Front post
0,01
No
39
West Ham United
Left
Right
In
Five player
Long
Front post
0,03
No
40
West Ham United
Left
Right
In
Five player
Long
Central
0,41
Yes
49
West Ham United
Right
Right
Out
Five player
Long
Central
0
No
58
West Ham United
Right
Right
Out
Five player
Long
Far post
0
No
68
West Ham United
Left
Right
In
Five player
Long
Front post
0
No
86
West Ham United
Left
Right
In
Five player
Long
Far post
0,07
No
89
In the table above you see every corner taken by Manchester United in their games against Bristol City, Tottenham Hotspur, Brighton and Hove Albion, and West Ham United. What is interesting is that there are 25 corners taken by the Manchester United team, none have been short. In total Manchester United have generated 2,57 expected goals from those 34 corners. That is an average of 0,415 xG per game via corners.
In the game against Bristol City, Manchester United have generated 0,39 xG. In their game against Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United have generated 0,15 xG. In their game against Brighton, Manchester United have generated 0,52 xG. In their game against West Ham United, Manchester United have generated 0,88 xG.
Corner type
Total xG
Average xG
Left
1,24
0,0496
Right
1,33
0,0532
Swing in
1,24
0,0496
Swing out
1,33
0,0532
Short
0
0
Long
2,57
0,1028
Front post
0,45
0,018
Central
0,85
0,034
Far post
1,27
0,0508
Three player zonal
0,01
0,0004
Four player zonal
0,53
0,0212
Five player zonal
2,03
0,0812
In the table above I’ve divided the corners into certain categories to assess how many xG has been generated per corner type. If we look at which side is most successful in generating that xG, then this is the right side. When we look at whether short or long corners generate the most xG, then it is the long corner option – because there have not been short passes.
When we have a look at which zone – the ball is being delivered into – generates the most xG in these games, then we can conclude that the far post zone generates the most xG. Finally, if we look at the successful generating xG against certain zonal structures, we can conclude that Manchester United generates the most xG against five player zonal structures in the six-yard box.
Successful routines
In the video above we see attacking corner routine #1 from Manchester United. The corner comes from the right from a right-footed player, meaning the ball will swing out away from the six-yard box, rather than swing in. The positioning of the runners will be different as their runs will be more conservative as the ball is played between the six-yard box and the penalty spot.
There is one player to the right who is available for the short pass option, but she makes her way into the penalty area. In the six-yard box, we see a player against the two player zonal structure employed by Bristol City in this particular game. There are four runners who will make runs towards the six-yard box to attack the corner.
As soon as the ball is played, we can see that the ball is played to the far post zones and that the four players each move into a different position to enhance the chance of getting at the end of the cross. Ultimately it’s Turner at the far post who scores the goal.
In the video above we see attacking corner routine #2 from Manchester United. The corner comes from the right from a left-footed player, meaning the ball will swing in towards the six-yard box, rather than swing out. The positioning of the runners will be different as their runs will be more progressive as the ball is played in the six-yard box.
In this game against Manchester City we see two players outside the penalty area. They are tasked with dealing with the cleared balls and attacking them, but also with the first line of rest-defence in case of a counter-attack. In the penalty area, we see four players on the edge of the six-yard box, one making a run from deeper in the penalty area, and one player in the six-yard box.
As soon as the ball is played, we can see that the ball is played between the front post zones and the central zones, with six players in the six-yard box. The players move towards the front post and perhaps it doesn’t seem flawless, but in the end, Manchester United score a very important goal against Manchester City.
In the video above we see attacking corner routine #3 from Manchester United. The corner comes from the right from a left-footed player, meaning the ball will swing in towards the six-yard box, rather than swing out. The positioning of the runners will be different as their runs will be more progressive as the ball is played in the six-yard box.
In this game against Tottenham Hotspur, we see two players in the six-yard box. On the right we see a player who is available for the short pass option, and on the edge of the penalty area, we see two players who are tasked with attacking the cleared balls – and guarding the first defensive line of rest-defence. There is one player on the edge of the six-yard box and one player who is situated on the deep far post zone.
As soon as the ball is played, we can see that the ball is played between the far post zones and the central zones, with three players in the six-yard box. Two players move to the central zones, luring defenders away from the far post. By creating space at the far post, it becomes easier for the player over there to attempt a shot at goal. The header is well executed and gives Manchester United another goal.
Earlier this week I wrote about OH Leuven’s attacking corners. I didn’t only look at their routines, but also had a look at their deliveries, the expected goals generated per corner and the average xG generated by corner type. I’m going to do this as well, but this time concentrating on the Women’s Super League in England.
In this analysis I will look closely to the top-4 in England: Chelsea, Manchester City, Arsenal and Manchester United. I will analyse their expected goals from corners, how their deliveries are, their average xG per corner type and some of their successful corner routines. This is part one and will look at Chelsea and Manchester City.
I’ve chosen to look at the top-4 because I wanted to get a better idea of what the corners are in the WSL and because these top-4 teams, also are the top-4 when it comes to scored goals from corners. To get a good view of the attacking corners in this particular league, these teams are definitely worth watching in my opinion. I’m going to look at their last 4/5 games of the WSL 2020-2021 season to assess the generated xG.
Chelsea
Expected goals per corner
Game
Side
Foot
Swing
Zonal structure
Length
Zone
xG
Goal
Minute
Tottenham
Left
Right
In
Two player
Long
Central
0,22
No
13
Tottenham
Right
Left
In
Two player
Long
Central
0
No
19
Tottenham
Left
Right
In
Two player
Long
Central
0
No
36
Tottenham
Left
Right
In
Two player
Long
Front post
0
No
74
Tottenham
Left
Right
In
Two player
Long
Central
0
No
79
Tottenham
Left
Right
In
Two player
Long
Central
0,04
No
85
Manchester City
Right
Right
Out
Four player
Long
Central
0,28
No
15
Manchester City
Left
Right
In
Two player
Long
Central
0
No
18
Manchester City
Right
Right
Out
Four player
Long
Front post
0,15
Yes
25
Manchester City
Right
Right
Out
Four player
Long
Front post
0,11
No
70
Birmingham City
Left
Right
In
Three player
Long
Far post
0,09
No
18
Birmingham City
Left
Right
In
Three player
Long
Front post
0
No
50
Birmingham City
Left
Left
Out
Three player
Long
Central
0,05
No
56
Birmingham City
Right
Left
In
Three player
Long
Front post
0
No
60
Birmingham City
Right
Left
In
Three player
Short
Far post
0
No
60
Birmingham City
Right
Left
In
Three player
Short
Front post
0,01
No
64
Birmingham City
Left
Left
Out
Three player
Long
Central
0,07
No
89
Birmingham City
Left
Left
Out
Three player
Short
Central
0,37
No
90
Aston Villa
Right
Left
In
Two player
Long
Central
0,01
No
12
Aston Villa
Right
Right
Out
Two player
Long
Front post
0
No
20
Aston Villa
Right
Right
Out
Two player
Long
Central
0,11
No
20
Aston Villa
Right
Left
In
Two player
Long
Far post
0
No
28
Aston Villa
Right
Left
In
Two player
Long
Front post
0,22
No
44
Aston Villa
Left
Right
In
Two player
Long
Far post
0
No
46
Aston Villa
Left
Left
Out
Two player
Long
Far post
0
No
72
Everton
Left
Left
Out
Two player
Long
Front post
0
No
3
Everton
Left
Left
Out
Two player
Long
Central
0
No
3
Everton
Left
Left
Out
Two player
Long
Front post
0
No
22
Everton
Left
Left
Out
Two player
Long
Central
0,43
No
25
Everton
Left
Left
Out
Two player
Long
Front post
0
No
29
Everton
Left
Left
Out
Two player
Long
Central
0
No
33
Everton
Left
Right
In
Two player
Long
Front post
0,01
No
85
In the table above you see every corner taken by Chelsea in their games against Tottenham Hotsp uts, Manchester City, Birmingham City, Aston Villa and Everton. What is interesting is that there are 32 corners taken by the Chelsea team, but only 2 of those corners have been short. In total Chelsea have generated 2,16 expected goals from those 32 corners. That is an average of 0,432 xG per game via corners.
In the game against Tottenham Hotspurs, Chelsea have generated 0,26 xG. In their game against Manchester City, Chelsea have generated 0,54 xG. In their game against Birmingham City, Chelsea have generated 0,59 xG. In their game against Aston Villa, Chelsea have generated 0,34 xG. And, in their game against Everton they have generated 0,44 xG.
Corner type
Total xG
Average xG
Left
1,28
0,256
Right
0,89
0,178
Swing in
0,6
0,12
Swing out
1,57
0,314
Short
0,38
0,076
Long
1,78
0,356
Front post
0,5
0,1
Central
1,58
0,316
Far post
0,09
0,018
Two player zonal
1,04
0,208
Three player zonal
0,59
0,118
Four player zonal
0,54
0,108
In the table above I’ve divided the corners into certain categories to assess how many xG has been generated per corner type. If we look at which side is most successful in generating that xG, then this is the left side. When we look whether short or long corners generate the most xG, then it is the long corner option.
When we have a look at which zone – the ball is being delivered into – generates the most xG in these games, then we can conclude that the central zone generates the most xG. Finally, if we look at the successful generating xG against certain zonal structures, we can conclude that Chelsea generates the most xG against two player zonal structures in the six-yard box.
Successful corner routines
In the video above we see attacking corner routine #1 from Chelsea in their game against Manchester City. The corner comes from the right from a right-footed player, meaning the ball will swing out towards the penalty spot, rather than swing in. The position of the runners is deeper because the ball will come between six-yard box and penalty spot.
Chelsea lines up with three players just outside the six-yard bod and with two player inside the penalty area. One player in that area is more advanced to the right, while the other play is just inside the penalty area. Outside the penalty area we have two players, both with different tasks. One player will make a run into the penalty area, while the other one is more tasked with getting the cleared balls or guarding the first line of rest-defence.
As soon as the ball is kicked, we see everyone making runs, but with the ball coming between the six-yard box and the penalty spot – the runners from the edge of the penalty area will move in that direction and this is how Kerr gets on the end of it and scores a header at the front post.
In the video above we see attacking corner routine #2 from Chelsea in their game against Brighton and Hove Albion. The corner comes from the right from a right-footed player, meaning the ball will swing out towards the penalty spot, rather than swing in. The position of the runners is deeper because the ball will come between six-yard box and penalty spot.
We see two players in the six-yard box against a three player zonal structure. On the penalty spot we have three players from Chelsea who will make a run towards the ball as soon as the ball is kicked. There are two player outside the penalty area, one is for the short pass option and the other one is there for the cleared balls and/or first line of rest-defence in case of a counter-attack from this set-piece.
As soon as the ball is kicked, we see the trio of runners making movements towards the front post – but Kerr switches off and goes centrally instead of to the front post, because space has been created there. She gets on the end of the ball and guides the ball with her head to the top corner at the far post.
In the video above we see attacking corner routine #3 from Chelsea in their game against Reading. The corner comes from the left from a left-footed player, meaning the ball will swing out towards the penalty spot, rather than swing in. The position of the runners is deeper because the ball will come between six-yard box and penalty spot.
We see one player in the six-yard box against a two player zonal structure. In the penalty area we have two units of two player who will make their runs forward as soon as the ball is kicked.
As the ball is kicked we see that the two units form a line of four and move forwards towards the six-yard vox, and at the same time the player in the six-yard box loses her marker and goes to the front post. She creates space in the middle for the runners, but in this case she manages to score a header into the far post.
Manchester City
Expected goals per corner
Game
Side
Foot
Swing
Zonal structure
Length
Zone
xG
Goal
Minute
Birmingham City
Right
Left
In
One player
Long
Far post
0
No
1
Birmingham City
Left
Right
In
One player
Long
Far post
0
No
28
Birmingham City
Right
Left
In
Two player
Long
Central
0
No
52
Birmingham City
Left
Left
Out
Three player
Long
Central
0
No
54
Birmingham City
Right
Left
In
Three player
Long
Far post
0
No
54
Birmingham City
Right
Left
In
Three player
Short
Central
0
No
61
Birmingham City
Left
Left
Out
Three player
Long
Central
0
No
62
Birmingham City
Left
Left
Out
Three player
Long
Front post
0,08
No
64
Birmingham City
Left
Left
Out
Three player
Short
Front post
0
No
71
Birmingham City
Left
Left
Out
Three player
Long
Central
0
No
74
Birmingham City
Right
Right
Out
Three player
Short
Central
0
No
74
Birmingham City
Right
Left
In
Three player
Long
Far post
0,16
No
76
Birmingham City
Right
Right
Out
Three player
Long
Front post
0,47
Yes
84
Birmingham City
Left
Left
Out
Three player
Short
Far post
0
No
86
Birmingham City
Right
Right
Out
Three player
Long
Central
0,45
Yes
94
Chelsea
Right
Left
In
Two player
Long
Central
0
No
9
Chelsea
Right
Left
In
Four player
Long
Central
0
No
39
Chelsea
Right
Left
In
Four player
Long
Far post
0
No
44
Chelsea
Right
Right
Out
Four player
Long
Central
0
No
46
Chelsea
Left
Left
Out
Three player
Long
Central
0
No
51
Chelsea
Right
Right
Out
Four player
Long
Central
0
No
57
Chelsea
Right
Left
In
Four player
Long
Central
0,07
No
79
Chelsea
Left
Left
Out
Four player
Long
Far post
0
No
91
Tottenham
Left
Right
In
Two player
Long
Central
0,07
Goal
4
Tottenham
Left
Right
In
Two player
Long
Far post
0
No
16
Tottenham
Left
Right
In
Two player
Short
Far post
0
No
32
Tottenham
Right
Right
Out
Three player
Long
Far post
0,04
No
46
Tottenham
Left
Right
In
Two player
Long
Central
0,47
No
47
Tottenham
Left
Right
In
Three player
Long
Front post
0
No
51
Tottenham
Left
Right
In
One player
Long
Central
0,12
No
72
Reading
Left
Right
In
Three player
Long
Front post
0
No
7
Reading
Right
Left
In
Two player
Long
Central
0
No
13
Reading
Right
Left
In
Two player
Long
Front post
0,04
No
39
Reading
Left
Left
Out
Two player
Long
Central
0
No
50
Reading
Left
Right
In
Two player
Long
Central
0
No
56
Reading
Right
Left
In
Two player
Long
Far post
0
No
62
Reading
Right
Left
In
Two player
Long
Front post
0
No
69
Reading
Right
Left
In
Two player
Long
Far post
0
No
69
Reading
Left
Left
Out
Two player
Long
Central
0,27
No
70
Reading
Right
Left
In
Two player
Long
Central
0
No
82
In the table above you see every corner taken by Manchester City in their games against Birmingham City, Chelsea, Tottenham and Reading. What is interesting is that there are 40 corners taken by the Manchester City team, but only 4 of those corners have been short. In total Manchester City have generated 2,24 expected goals from those 40 corners. That is an average of 0,067 xG per game via corners.
In the game against Birmingham City, Manchester City have generated 1,16 xG. In their game against Chelsea, Manchester City have generated 0,52 xG. In their game against Tottenham Hotspurs, Manchester City have generated 0,7 xG. In their game against Reading, Chelsea have generated 0,31 xG.
Corner type
Total xG
Average xG
Left
1,01
0,02525
Right
1,23
0,03075
Swing in
0,93
0,02325
Swing out
1,31
0,03275
Short
0
0
Long
2,24
0,056
Front post
0,59
0,01475
Central
1,45
0,03625
Far post
0,2
0,005
One player zonal
0,12
0,003
Two player zonal
0,85
0,02125
Three player zonal
1,2
0,03
Four player zonal
0,07
0,00175
In the table above I’ve divided the corners into certain categories to assess how many xG has been generated per corner type. If we look at which side is most successful in generating that xG, then this is the right side. When we look whether short or long corners generate the most xG, then it is the long corner option.
When we have a look at which zone – the ball is being delivered into – generates the most xG in these games, then we can conclude that the central zone generates the most xG. Finally, if we look at the successful generating xG against certain zonal structures, we can conclude that Manchester City generates the most xG against three player zonal structures in the six-yard box.
Successful routines
In the video above we see attacking corner routine #1 from Manchester City. The corner comes from the right from a left-footed player, meaning the ball will swing in towards the six-yard box, rather than swing out. The position of the runners is deeper because the ball will come between six-yard box and penalty spot.
Manchester City lines up with three players just outside the six-yard box and with two player inside the six-yard box. One player in that area is more advanced to the right, while the other play is just inside the penalty area. Outside the penalty area we have two players, both with different tasks.
As soon as the ball is kicked, we see everyone making runs, but an interesting one is that a player makes a run towards the corner from the six-yard box – luring defender with her. This means that here is space created, which a runner takes advantage of and heads the ball in goal from the front post.
In the video above we see attacking corner routine #2 from Manchester City in their game against Aston Villa. The corner comes from the left from a right-footed player, meaning the ball will swing in towards the six-yard box, rather than swing out. The position of the runners is more towards the six-yard box as the ball will be delivered more towards goal.
We see a three player zonal structure employed by Aston Villa and Manchester City has four players in the six-yard box with one player standing just outside the six-yard box. She will make a run into the box with another play, so that the box will be overloaded with Manchester City player.
As soon as the ball is played, we see that it goes to the front post and Manchester City anticipates that one of the many player will be able to make a good opportunity or score a goal from this particular set piece – which also happens.
In the video above we see attacking corner routine #3 from Manchester City in their game against Arsenal. The corner comes from the left from a right-footed player, meaning the ball will swing in towards the six-yard box, rather than swing out. The position of the runners is more towards the six-yard box as the ball will be delivered more towards goal.
Manchester City has four players in the six-yard box with one player standing just outside the six-yard box. She will make a run into the box with another play, so that the box will be overloaded with Manchester City players. One player runs out of the box towards the corner, dragging a defender with her
As soon as the ball is played, we see that it goes to the front post and Manchester City anticipates that one of the many players will be able to make a good opportunity or score a goal from this particular set-piece – which also happens. This is routine is quite similar to routine #2, but it uses an element of routine #1 – the dragging of the defender to open up space at the front post.
One of the things that I wanted to do more in 2021 was to explore more. By exploring I mean looking at leagues that I didn’t look at before, especially leagues that do not figure in Europe. I’m looking to new leagues and leagues beyond the top tier, but somehow forget to analyse teams in the second tier in the Netherlands. So today I’m doing exactly that.
In this set-piece analysis, I will look at the attacking corner routines of Almere City FC. They are not only a very interesting team with progressive ideas, they are also hugely ambitious and would like to make their debut in the Eredivisie in the years to follow, so the project is definitely interesting to follow.
Almere City vs Helmond Sport
In the video above we Almere City in their game against Helmond Sport. The corner is taken from the right by a left-footed player, which means the ball will swing in rather than swing our. This also means that the ball is more likely to be delivered to the six-yard box and this can be seen by the number of players in the six-yard box.
On the right, we have a player close to the corner taker, just on the edge of the penalty are. In the six-yard box, we see two players. Just outside the box we have four players who all will move to the six-yard box as the corner is taken, but they will all asume different positions: Front post, central zones and far post.
As soon as the ball is kicked we see three players move to the front post, while one player remains in the central zone in the six-yard box. By doing so, the four players create space at the far post for the player there to attack a cross. The ball is headed to the far post and although it’s a difficult header, the ball is converted into a goal.
Almere City vs FC Dordrecht
In the video above we Almere City in their game against FC Dordrecht. The corner is taken from the left by a left-footed player, which means the ball will swing out rather than swing in. This also means that the ball is more likely to be delivered between the penalty spot and the six-yard box with deep-positioned runners.
On the left, we have a player close to the corner taker, just on the edge of the penalty area. In the six-yard box, we see two players. On the edge of the penalty area, we have three players who all will move to the six-yard box as the corner is taken, in the central zones and in the far post zones.
As soon as the ball is kicked we see three players/runners move to the central zones and to the far post, while the two players in the six-yard box remain in their positions. The opposition plays a second line of zonal marking, which makes it easier for the runners to get between the lines and actually score this goal.
Almere City vs Go Ahead Eagles
In the video above we Almere City in their game against Go Ahead Eagles. The corner is taken from the right by a left-footed player, which means the ball will swing in rather than swing out. This also means that the ball is more likely to be delivered in the six-yard box, which you can notice with the position of the players in the penalty are. In this case it’s quite obvious that the corner will be taken short.
On the right, we have a player very close to the corner taker for the short pass option which takes place. Outside the penalty area, we have a player tasked with the cleared balls and the first line of rest-defence in case of a counter-attack by Go Ahead Eagles. There is one player in the six-yard box against a two player zonal structure. On the edge of the penalty area, we have one player and, we have three players who all will move to the six-yard box as the corner is taken, in the central zones and in the far post zones.
The ball is taken short and the left-footed player receives the ball back and crosses the ball with his left foot into the central zones, but the ball is headed to the far post – after which it is quite easy for Almere City to score a goal. By taking the ball short, the defence organisation has been divided and Almere City does take advantage to this fact.
Almere City vs Excelsior Rotterdam
In the video above we Almere City in their game against Excelsior. The corner is taken from the right by a left-footed player, which means the ball will swing in rather than swing out. This also means that the ball is more likely to be delivered in the six-yard box, which you can notice with the position of the players in the penalty are.
On the right, we have a player close to the corner taker just outside the penalty area. There is one player in the six-yard box against a two player zonal structure. On the edge of the penalty area we have one player and, we have three players who all will move to the six-yard box as the corner is taken, in the central zones, front post zones and in the far post zones. Excelsior have a six player zonal structure.
As soon as the ball is kicked we see one runner go to the front post zone, while the others remain in the central zones and even the far post zones. The player deeper in the penalty box remains on his position and anticipates the cleared ball. The cross goes the front post and the runner in that position gets on the end of it and heads it towards the far post: another goal for Almere City.
