In the aftermath of Manchester United’s 4-2 victory away at Leeds United on Sunday, Harry Maguire was forthright in his assessment of the club’s lack of goals from corners this season, stating he was “embarrassed” by their lack of set-piece goals.
“I’m a big part of that set-play routine, but as a team, we’ve been far from adequate. We’d be higher up the table if we scored more set-piece goals.”
On Sunday afternoon, United broke the deadlock with a brilliant move that allowed Maguire to head home Luke Shaw’s cross.
Prior to their Saturday success, United was the only team in the league who had yet to score from a corner this season.
Given the addition of set-piece coach Eric Ramsay, few would have predicted such a terrible performance from United.
Although their lack of goals is a negative reflection on him and United as a whole, there is evidence to believe that their season opener on Sunday could be a watershed moment.
While United has lagged behind their opponents in this category, they have been far more dangerous than their goal total suggests.
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So far, they have averaged the seventh-highest amount of corners per game (5.42) in the Premier League, and they have attempted an average of 1.85 shots per game from set pieces.
Their corner efforts have resulted in an xG (expected goals) total of 3.02.
This suggests that, based on the chances they’ve produced from dead-ball situations, United should have been anticipated to score more than one goal this season.
A combination of poor finishing and possibly unlucky elements could explain why they haven’t been able to score more from these scenarios, but the above at least portrays a picture that United hasn’t been as dreadful as some belief.
This means they could start scoring more key set-piece goals between now and the end of the season, and the goal against Leeds could give them the confidence boost they needed.
