Premier League clubs, influenced by the NFL, are revolutionizing set-piece success with specialist coaches and innovative tactics like player stacks, specific schemes for Gabriel, and blocking plays, creating a tactical ‘flood’ across the league.
According to a report from ESPN, set-pieces in the Premier League have evolved substantially and clubs are now borrowing sophisticated concepts from the NFL. The article states:
“Set piece mania has taken over the Premier League, with the past five seasons seeing teams take advantage of these situations for maximum benefit.”
Arsenal and Tottenham were among the first clubs to hire designated set-piece coaches—Arsenal hired Nicolas Jover in 2021, Tottenham followed with Gianni Vio in 2022—and now nearly every Premier League club has one.
The piece details how the Gunners have been exceptional, generating the most expected goals (xG) from set-pieces since 2023-24 and netting 24 direct corner goals in that span, six more than the next best team.
One prominent example comes from Arsenal midfielder Mikel Merino’s admission:
“I was lucky enough a couple of summers ago to be doing some commercial stuff with a defensive end from the [New Orleans] Saints, Cam Jordan …
We spoke a lot about what type of movements he does, how he uses the hands and how he uses his body to get rid of the opponent.”
The article concludes that “soccer is a copy-cat sport” and that clubs investing time and money in this kind of tactical innovation—such as Arsenal, Villa, Brentford and more—are seeing clear benefits, while those that don’t may be left behind.