This article is part of our Premier League Stats Review series.
No player took more free kicks in Gameweek 9 than Wolverhampton's Joao Moutinho, which was a bit of a surprise because he hadn't started a Premier League match since Gameweek 5. The stats also don't tell us the whole story of what he did with those opportunities, as he technically only crossed one of those seven, though he finished the match with seven total crosses because he took the corners short but then got the ball back to cross it in from a different angle.
Another surprising leader was James Milner, who also took seven corners but firmly crossed six like the machine we know him to be. Milner got the start against Leicester City at right-back in place of the injured Trent Alexander-Arnold, and he surely becomes an interesting fantasy option in many formats if he keeps that job.
We also saw Aston Villa's Jack Grealish take a season-high four corners, a total that was level with teammate Bertrand Traore, who got those opportunities after coming on in the fifth minute to replace the injured Ross Barkley. The Chelsea loanee is expected to miss at least the next two games because of the issue, which could open up a starting spot for Traore or Conor Hourihane, who took plenty of set pieces last season. Whoever gets the call seems lined up for a role on corners, which maybe more importantly means Grealish won't have a monopoly.
Barkley's absence will see one of his teammates move up the set-piece share list, one that continues to have Southampton's James Ward-Prowse at the top, both for the entire season (81.48 percent) and the last four gameweeks (88.46 percent). Ward-Prowse's situation is the opposite of what we see with Leicester City, as Youri Tielemans has accounted for 60.00 percent of their set pieces for the season but only 10.53 percent over the past four games; that's because James Maddison has taken 68.42 percent of their dead balls over that latter time frame, the biggest positive increase of any player in the league. For a clearer picture of whose roles have changed, here's the breakdown between full-season set-piece share and the same over the past four games (all columns are sortable):
Season Totals | Gameweeks 6-9 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player Name | Team | Player FKs | Team FKs | Player % | Player FKs | Team FKs | Player% | Diff | Abs Diff |
| Youri Tielemans | LEI | 36 | 60 | 60.00% | 2 | 19 | 10.53% | -49.47% | 49.47% |
| Kalvin Phillips | LEE | 33 | 71 | 46.48% | 3 | 33 | 9.09% | -37.39% | 37.39% |
| Matheus Pereira | WBA | 31 | 50 | 62.00% | 5 | 20 | 25.00% | -37.00% | 37.00% |
| James Maddison | LEI | 19 | 60 | 31.67% | 13 | 19 | 68.42% | 36.75% | 36.75% |
| Sean Longstaff | NEW | 12 | 52 | 23.08% | 12 | 22 | 54.55% | 31.47% | 31.47% |
| Pascal Gross | BHA | 20 | 61 | 32.79% | 14 | 23 | 60.87% | 28.08% | 28.08% |
| Filip Krovinovic | WBA | 9 | 50 | 18.00% | 9 | 20 | 45.00% | 27.00% | 27.00% |
| Mateusz Klich | LEE | 18 | 71 | 25.35% | 17 | 33 | 51.52% | 26.16% | 26.16% |
| Gylfi Sigurdsson | EVE | 17 | 64 | 26.56% | 15 | 29 | 51.72% | 25.16% | 25.16% |
| Tom Cairney | FUL | 19 | 52 | 36.54% | 13 | 23 | 56.52% | 19.98% | 19.98% |
| Ross Barkley | AVL | 29 | 85 | 34.12% | 26 | 49 | 53.06% | 18.94% | 18.94% |
| Mason Mount | CHE | 17 | 58 | 29.31% | 13 | 27 | 48.15% | 18.84% | 18.84% |
| Ademola Lookman | FUL | 9 | 52 | 17.31% | 8 | 23 | 34.78% | 17.47% | 17.47% |
| Luka Milivojevic | CRY | 14 | 65 | 21.54% | 11 | 29 | 37.93% | 16.39% | 16.39% |
| James Milner | LIV | 10 | 79 | 12.66% | 8 | 29 | 27.59% | 14.93% | 14.93% |
| Willian | ARS | 19 | 51 | 37.25% | 6 | 26 | 23.08% | -14.18% | 14.18% |
| Dwight McNeil | BRN | 24 | 52 | 46.15% | 12 | 20 | 60.00% | 13.85% | 13.85% |
| Conor Hourihane | AVL | 20 | 85 | 23.53% | 5 | 49 | 10.20% | -13.33% | 13.33% |
| Andros Townsend | CRY | 33 | 65 | 50.77% | 11 | 29 | 37.93% | -12.84% | 12.84% |
| Lucas Digne | EVE | 17 | 64 | 26.56% | 4 | 29 | 13.79% | -12.77% | 12.77% |
| James Rodriguez | EVE | 30 | 64 | 46.88% | 10 | 29 | 34.48% | -12.39% | 12.39% |
| Reece James | CHE | 11 | 58 | 18.97% | 2 | 27 | 7.41% | -11.56% | 11.56% |
| Ashley Westwood | BRN | 24 | 52 | 46.15% | 7 | 20 | 35.00% | -11.15% | 11.15% |
| Solomon March | BHA | 20 | 61 | 32.79% | 5 | 23 | 21.74% | -11.05% | 11.05% |
| Ben Chilwell | CHE | 17 | 58 | 29.31% | 5 | 27 | 18.52% | -10.79% | 10.79% |
| Marc Albrighton | LEI | 3 | 60 | 5.00% | 3 | 19 | 15.79% | 10.79% | 10.79% |
| Hakim Ziyech | CHE | 9 | 58 | 15.52% | 7 | 27 | 25.93% | 10.41% | 10.41% |
| Ryan Bertrand | SOU | 9 | 54 | 16.67% | 2 | 26 | 7.69% | -8.97% | 8.97% |
| Andrew Robertson | LIV | 37 | 79 | 46.84% | 11 | 29 | 37.93% | -8.90% | 8.90% |
| Jack Harrison | LEE | 11 | 71 | 15.49% | 8 | 33 | 24.24% | 8.75% | 8.75% |
| Leandro Trossard | BHA | 13 | 61 | 21.31% | 3 | 23 | 13.04% | -8.27% | 8.27% |
| Nicolas Pepe | ARS | 14 | 51 | 27.45% | 5 | 26 | 19.23% | -8.22% | 8.22% |
| Jacob Murphy | NEW | 3 | 52 | 5.77% | 3 | 22 | 13.64% | 7.87% | 7.87% |
| Bukayo Saka | ARS | 4 | 51 | 7.84% | 4 | 26 | 15.38% | 7.54% | 7.54% |
| Reiss Nelson | ARS | 4 | 51 | 7.84% | 4 | 26 | 15.38% | 7.54% | 7.54% |
| Dani Ceballos | ARS | 6 | 51 | 11.76% | 5 | 26 | 19.23% | 7.47% | 7.47% |
| Sander Berge | SHU | 2 | 54 | 3.70% | 2 | 18 | 11.11% | 7.41% | 7.41% |
| James Ward-Prowse | SOU | 44 | 54 | 81.48% | 23 | 26 | 88.46% | 6.98% | 6.98% |
| Trent Alexander-Arnold | LIV | 30 | 79 | 37.97% | 9 | 29 | 31.03% | -6.94% | 6.94% |
| Conor Gallagher | WBA | 2 | 50 | 4.00% | 2 | 20 | 10.00% | 6.00% | 6.00% |
| Gareth Bale | TOT | 6 | 56 | 10.71% | 4 | 24 | 16.67% | 5.95% | 5.95% |
| Miguel Almiron | NEW | 4 | 52 | 7.69% | 3 | 22 | 13.64% | 5.94% | 5.94% |
| John Lundstram | SHU | 15 | 54 | 27.78% | 4 | 18 | 22.22% | -5.56% | 5.56% |
| John Fleck | SHU | 9 | 54 | 16.67% | 2 | 18 | 11.11% | -5.56% | 5.56% |
| Alex Telles | MUN | 4 | 61 | 6.56% | 4 | 34 | 11.76% | 5.21% | 5.21% |
| Matthew Phillips | WBA | 5 | 50 | 10.00% | 3 | 20 | 15.00% | 5.00% | 5.00% |
| Bertrand Traore | AVL | 8 | 85 | 9.41% | 7 | 49 | 14.29% | 4.87% | 4.87% |
| Son Heung-Min | TOT | 26 | 56 | 46.43% | 10 | 24 | 41.67% | -4.76% | 4.76% |
| Erik Lamela | TOT | 9 | 56 | 16.07% | 5 | 24 | 20.83% | 4.76% | 4.76% |
| Luke Shaw | MUN | 10 | 61 | 16.39% | 4 | 34 | 11.76% | -4.63% | 4.63% |
| Vladimir Coufal | WHU | 2 | 59 | 3.39% | 2 | 25 | 8.00% | 4.61% | 4.61% |
| Giovani Lo Celso | TOT | 7 | 56 | 12.50% | 2 | 24 | 8.33% | -4.17% | 4.17% |
| Aaron Cresswell | WHU | 33 | 59 | 55.93% | 15 | 25 | 60.00% | 4.07% | 4.07% |
| Jack Grealish | AVL | 14 | 85 | 16.47% | 10 | 49 | 20.41% | 3.94% | 3.94% |
| Theo Walcott | EVE | 0 | 64 | 0.00% | 1 | 26 | 3.85% | 3.85% | 3.85% |
| Ben Osborn | SHU | 10 | 54 | 18.52% | 4 | 18 | 22.22% | 3.70% | 3.70% |
| Pablo Hernandez | LEE | 4 | 71 | 5.63% | 3 | 33 | 9.09% | 3.46% | 3.46% |
| Ryan Fraser | NEW | 8 | 52 | 15.38% | 4 | 22 | 18.18% | 2.80% | 2.80% |
| Yves Bissouma | BHA | 1 | 61 | 1.64% | 1 | 23 | 4.35% | 2.71% | 2.71% |
| Jarrod Bowen | WHU | 18 | 59 | 30.51% | 7 | 25 | 28.00% | -2.51% | 2.51% |
| Ilkay Gundogan | MCI | 6 | 67 | 8.96% | 4 | 35 | 11.43% | 2.47% | 2.47% |
| Harrison Reed | FUL | 1 | 52 | 1.92% | 1 | 23 | 4.35% | 2.42% | 2.42% |
| Harry Kane | TOT | 1 | 56 | 1.79% | 1 | 24 | 4.17% | 2.38% | 2.38% |
| Eric Dier | TOT | 1 | 56 | 1.79% | 1 | 24 | 4.17% | 2.38% | 2.38% |
| Ben Davies | TOT | 1 | 56 | 1.79% | 1 | 24 | 4.17% | 2.38% | 2.38% |
| Eberechi Eze | CRY | 12 | 65 | 18.46% | 6 | 29 | 20.69% | 2.23% | 2.23% |
| Xherdan Shaqiri | LIV | 1 | 79 | 1.27% | 1 | 29 | 3.45% | 2.18% | 2.18% |
| Theo Walcott | SOU | 1 | 54 | 1.85% | 1 | 26 | 3.85% | 1.99% | 1.99% |
| Cengiz Under | LEI | 2 | 60 | 3.33% | 1 | 19 | 5.26% | 1.93% | 1.93% |
| Patrick van Aanholt | CRY | 1 | 65 | 1.54% | 1 | 29 | 3.45% | 1.91% | 1.91% |
| Granit Xhaka | ARS | 3 | 51 | 5.88% | 2 | 26 | 7.69% | 1.81% | 1.81% |
| Ruben Neves | WOL | 3 | 58 | 5.17% | 1 | 29 | 3.45% | -1.72% | 1.72% |
| Nelson Semedo | WOL | 1 | 58 | 1.72% | 1 | 29 | 3.45% | 1.72% | 1.72% |
| Joao Moutinho | WOL | 21 | 58 | 36.21% | 11 | 29 | 37.93% | 1.72% | 1.72% |
| Riyad Mahrez | MCI | 18 | 67 | 26.87% | 10 | 35 | 28.57% | 1.71% | 1.71% |
| Rodrigo | LEE | 1 | 71 | 1.41% | 1 | 33 | 3.03% | 1.62% | 1.62% |
| Juan Mata | MUN | 8 | 61 | 13.11% | 5 | 34 | 14.71% | 1.59% | 1.59% |
| Rodri | MCI | 1 | 67 | 1.49% | 1 | 35 | 2.86% | 1.36% | 1.36% |
| Marcus Rashford | MUN | 1 | 61 | 1.64% | 1 | 34 | 2.94% | 1.30% | 1.30% |
| Grady Diangana | WBA | 3 | 50 | 6.00% | 1 | 20 | 5.00% | -1.00% | 1.00% |
| Trezeguet | AVL | 1 | 85 | 1.18% | 1 | 49 | 2.04% | 0.86% | 0.86% |
| Josh Brownhill | BRN | 3 | 52 | 5.77% | 1 | 20 | 5.00% | -0.77% | 0.77% |
| Mark Noble | WHU | 2 | 59 | 3.39% | 1 | 25 | 4.00% | 0.61% | 0.61% |
| Aleksandar Mitrovic | FUL | 2 | 52 | 3.85% | 1 | 23 | 4.35% | 0.50% | 0.50% |
| Kevin De Bruyne | MCI | 38 | 67 | 56.72% | 20 | 35 | 57.14% | 0.43% | 0.43% |
| Raphinha | LEE | 2 | 71 | 2.82% | 1 | 33 | 3.03% | 0.21% | 0.21% |
| Bruno Fernandes | MUN | 36 | 61 | 59.02% | 20 | 34 | 58.82% | -0.19% | 0.19% |
| Pedro Neto | WOL | 26 | 58 | 44.83% | 13 | 29 | 44.83% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Oliver Norwood | SHU | 18 | 54 | 33.33% | 6 | 18 | 33.33% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Daniel Podence | WOL | 6 | 58 | 10.34% | 3 | 29 | 10.34% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
