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The Premier League is one of the most challenging leagues in the world. Not only is it known to test a player tactically but also physically.
Making the most out of a set-piece is one of the most effective ways to score a goal. Some English clubs have mastered the art of scoring through this fashion.
Few Premier League clubs have failed to deal well with set-pieces
As great as it is to score through set-pieces, it is not an easy task to defend it. With the presence of some tall and strong defenders and attackers in the Premier League, it is a challenge to deal with a dead-ball situation effectively.
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Some English clubs have immensely struggled to defend set-pieces this season. Here are a few of them:
Honorable mention: Southampton (10)
#5 Aston Villa
Aston Villa lie 12th in the Premier League with 30 points in the table. After an interesting start, they have lost some unexpected games and have registered only two wins in their last five games.
Under the management of Steven Gerrard, Villa were expected to do better but unfortunately that hasn't been the case. They can still very well finish in the top half of the table but for that they need to stop leaking more goals.
So far, Aston Villa have conceded 37 goals this season. Out of that, 10 of them have come through set-pieces. With the likes of Tyrone Mings and Ezri Konsa in defense, Villa should be doing better from dead-ball situations.
#4 Everton
Things haven't gone well at all for Everton this season. The Merseyside club have never looked strong enough to turn their form around this campaign.
Despite the sacking of Rafa Benitez, Everton sit 17th in the league table. The Toffees have lost 14 out of the 24 matches they have played this season. This certainly speaks volumes of how disappointing they have been.
One of the major reasons for their poor form has been their sloppy defending. Everton have been reckless and have conceded some silly goals. So far, they have conceded 41 goals this campaign. What's more concerning is that out of the 41, 10 have come through set-pieces.
#3 Crystal Palace
Premier League legend Patrick Vieira has impressed many after having done a decent job so far at Crystal Palace. The Eagles sit 11th in the league table with 30 points in 27 matches.
This surely does not make them safe, but given that they sit above the likes of Leicester City, Everton and Aston Villa, it makes it a commendable achievement. That being said, there are areas of concern for Crystal Palace, especially when dealing with set-pieces.
Out of the 38 goals they have conceded this season, 13 have come through set-pieces. This has resulted in them losing points more often than not this campaign. This is one of the reasons why Palace have drawn 12 matches already, the joint-most in the league.
#2 Leicester City
The form of the Foxes has been astonishing in the 2021-22 season. After starting on a good note, Brendan Rodgers and his players were expected to challenge for a place in Europe.
At the moment, Leicester City sit 13th in the table, with 27 points in 23 matches. Jamie Vardy's long-term injury has affected their performance but they can surely do much better than they are doing right now.
Having conceded 43 goals in 23 matches, Leicester City have been quite disappointing at the back. Despite having the likes of Jonny Evans, Caglar Soyuncu, Wilfred Ndidi and Jannik Vestergaard, the Foxes have leaked goals at regular intervals. Out of the 43, 13 goals have been conceded through set-pieces, which only makes it a big concern.
#1 Leeds United
It is a pity that Marcelo Bielsa and Leeds United have parted ways. The Argentine played a massive role in making Leeds play some really entertaining and attractive football.
Given the Whites' poor run in the Premier League this season, something like this was meant to happen. Leeds United sit 16th in the table with just 23 points in 26 matches. Their free-flowing and attacking football may have worked out well for them previously but has backfired this season.
Leeds have conceded 60 goals this season, the most by any club in the 2021-22 campaign. At times, they have been demolished by the opposition, resulting in a loss by a huge margin.
Out of the 60, 13 goals have been conceded through set-pieces by the Whites. If they fail to address this issue, they'll soon be moving closer to relegation.
