When building a Fantasy Premier League squad, knowing the set-piece takers for each club can give managers the edge over mini-league rivals.
Ahead of 2019/20, The Scout analyses which players to target.
Liverpool
Set-pieces played a significant part in Virgil van Dijk (£6.5m) and Trent Alexander-Arnold’s (£7.0m) outstanding FPL seasons.
Liverpool scored a total of 22 goals from free-kicks or corners, six more than any other side.
Van Dijk proved their main attacking threat in such situations.
All four of the centre-back's goals came from set-pieces, while his total of 19 headed attempts was among the top five players in FPL.
Liverpool's potential is made all the greater by the delivery of Alexander-Arnold and James Milner (£5.5m).
Liverpool's set-piece takers
| Choice | Penalty | Corner | Free-kick |
|---|---|---|---|
| First | Milner | Alexander-Arnold | Alexander-Arnold |
| Second | Salah | Milner | Shaqiri |
| Third | Firmino | Salah | Salah |
Between them, they supplied 40 of the 59 chances Liverpool created at free-kicks or corners.
Milner ranked top, with 23 to Alexander-Arnold’s 17, but the latter was more productive in FPL.
Alexander-Arnold claimed four assists last season from set-pieces, more than any team-mate.
Record-breakers
The right-back was also a considerable goal threat at set-pieces.
He took nine direct free-kicks, a total that was among the top 10 in FPL, and he scored with one against Watford in Gameweek 13.
Liverpool also kept a league-high 21 clean sheets, ensuring Van Dijk and Alexander-Arnold were among the top three points-scoring defenders in FPL, along with team-mate Andrew Robertson (£7.0m).
Both Robertson and Van Dijk broke the points record for a defender, while Alexander-Arnold’s average of 6.4 points per match was more than any regular FPL starter.
Reaping rewards
Looking ahead to 2019/20, the reduced minutes of Milner could further lift Alexander-Arnold’s prospects.
Milner, 33, started in only one of Liverpool’s final 10 Gameweeks. If this lack of pitch time continues, it will hand more set-pieces to the right-back, while Mohamed Salah (£12.5m) would also benefit.
The Egyptian took and scored three penalties last season but is second-choice behind Milner for spot-kicks.
Liverpool were awarded seven penalties in 2018/19, so Salah could be even more prolific this season.
See: FPL set-pieces: Players to target from each club