Overview
- Recent matches underscore the shift, with both goals at Selhurst Park coming from dead balls, including Joshua Zirkzee’s equaliser from a Bruno Fernandes free-kick.
- United own the Premier League’s best efficiency metrics on dead balls, with 10.4 goals per 100 set-pieces and an xG rate of 6.5 per 100, while only Arsenal have more total goals from such situations.
- Assistant Carlos Fernandes oversees planning on the training ground, supported by set-piece analyst Kaita Hasegawa and a data team led by Michael Sansoni, a recruit from Mercedes F1.
- Extra time on the training pitch, created by the lack of European fixtures and an early Carabao Cup exit, has enabled intensive rehearsal of tailored routines, with Amorim openly ‘stealing’ and adapting ideas from across the game.
- Defensive set-pieces remain a concern that shapes selection, with the absences of aerial presences Harry Maguire and Benjamin Sesko, plus Casemiro’s protection, and with new goalkeeper Senne Lammens offering added command in the air.