Frank Lampard’s attention to detail at set-pieces made a significant difference to Chelsea’s goal tally during the early stages of the 2020/21 campaign.
Chelsea netted eight times from dead-ball situations across the first 11 matches, representing an impressive 32 per cent share of their total goals scored.
It was a huge improvement on Lampard's first year at Stamford Bridge, when just 15.9 per cent of Chelsea’s goals stemmed from corners and wide free-kicks.
The average across the Premier League in 2019/20 was 22 per cent.
Premier League's set-piece goals
| Season | Goals | Set-piece goals (exc pens) | Set-piece % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016/17 | 1064 | 254 | 23.9 |
| 2017/18 | 1018 | 222 | 21.8 |
| 2018/19 | 1072 | 246 | 22.9 |
| 2019/20 | 1034 | 227 | 22.0 |
| 2020/21 | 320 | 67 | 20.9 |
| Total | 4508 | 1016 | 22.5 |
In November, Chelsea scored against Sheffield United and Newcastle United from clever short-corner routines.
Short-corner routine v Sheff Utd
From the right, Mason Mount and Timo Werner stood over the ball, drawing two opposition defenders out of the penalty area to make a 2v2.
This allowed Hakim Ziyech to take up an undetected position around 25 yards from goal on the same side as the corner takers.
Mount's crisp pass to Ziyech then created a smart 3v2 overload.
Against Sheff Utd, the Moroccan delivered a pinpoint cross to the far post for Ben Chilwell, partially hidden in the image below, to convert at the back post.
Watch: Chilwell's goal v Sheff Utd (YouTube)
At Newcastle, from an identical set-up, Mount, Ziyech and Werner instead used the same 3v2 situation to release Mount to cross from the byline.
Mount's low ball across the face of goal was turned into his own net by Federico Fernandez.
It was a surprise to see a player of Ziyech’s quality left unmarked both times, but Chelsea deserve credit for the double distraction inside the box and by the corner flag.
Set-piece goal v Newcastle
Four of Chelsea’s other early-season set-piece goals came from right-footed out-swingers.
Kurt Zouma leapt highest to convert three of those crosses, but the way his team-mates created space for him was another example of pre-match planning.
Zouma likes to start at the back of the pack where possible, with team-mates focused on creating a block that allows him a clear pathway to attack the cross.
Olivier Giroud’s unselfish role in the goal at home against Leeds United was the most pronounced use of a blocker.
Zouma stood touch-tight behind Giroud, who was marked by Diego Llorente, and this effectively created a 2v1 situation.
Following Giroud until the last moment, Zouma charged into a gap unmarked to score.
See: Zouma's goal v Leeds (YouTube)
Zouma also produced an astute training-ground block of his own, freeing up Thiago Silva to net against Sheff Utd from a free-kick.
While Zouma was marked by John Egan, and Thiago Silva by Enda Stevens, the Chelsea pair ensured they stood very close to one another.
As the ball came in from Ziyech, Zouma held his ground and blocked both markers, leaving Thiago Silva to head in his first goal for the club.
Watch: Thiago Silva scores v Sheff Utd (YouTube)
Less than four per cent of corner kicks lead to goals on average, and they are usually worth about a 13 per cent share of the goals scored in a top-flight campaign.
But between Matchweek 1 and Matchweek 11, Chelsea were genuine set-piece specialists, more than tripling the division’s usual conversion rate by scoring from 12 per cent of their corners.
Most goals from corners 2020/21
| Goals from corners | Total corners | % conversion | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chelsea | 7 | 58 | 12.0 |
| Liverpool | 4 | 66 | 6.0 |
| West Ham | 3 | 52 | 5.8 |
| Everton | 3 | 52 | 5.8 |
| Leeds | 3 | 59 | 5.1 |
Their work on the training ground, the players’ focus in carrying out instructions and the technical quality of the deliveries helped get their season off to a flyer.
A return to this effective tactic would go some way towards helping them recapture their best form.
