The 10 most prolific sides in Europe from set-pieces in 2024-25: Arsenal only third…

Despite their burgeoning reputation as a souped-up version of Tony Pulis’ prime Barclays-era Stoke City, Arsenal don’t actually boast the best record from set pieces across Europe’s five major leagues this season.

Mikel Arteta’s Gunners have made a habit of scoring from corners of late, but they’re far from the only deadly club from dead-ball situations.

Using data from WhoScored, here are the 10 clubs who have scored the most goals from set pieces so far this season (not including penalties). Where clubs are tied on the same number of goals, we’ve put them into our top 10 by virtue of the proportion of total goals.

10. Everton – 6

Sean Dyche gonna Sean Dyche.

Six set-piece goals aren’t exactly a remarkable return at this stage of the season. Everton are level on that number with Aston Villa, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and a whole host more clubs but they sneak into our top by their importance – 42% of all their total Premier League goals have come via set-pieces.

Only Southampton (11) have scored fewer goals in total than Everton (14) in the English top flight, but only Arsenal have scored more from set-piece situations.

9. Barcelona – 7

From one extreme to another, only 14% of Barcelona’s La Liga goals this season have come via a set-piece – having scored an outrageous total tally of 50 goals already in 2024-25. They’re the top-scoring side across Europe’s major leagues by a country mile.

Barca do score the odd goal from a corner or free-kick, but it’s more impressive how they defend them. The La Liga leaders have faced over 100 corners in all competitions so far this season and they’re yet to concede from a single one.

8. Eintracht Frankfurt – 7

The story of the season so far? Move over Bayer Leverkusen, Bayern Munich have a new, out-of-nowhere challenger.

Not only do Eintracht Frankfurt boast one of Europe’s most in-form individuals, but they’re a multi-faceted team. Only Tottenham have scored more counter-attacking goals and they’re also pretty handy from set-pieces.

7. Bayer Leverkusen – 7

Last season set pieces played a massive role in Leverkusen’s Bundesliga title triumph, with Alejandro Grimaldo proving particularly potent with a dead ball at his feet.

Xabi Alonso’s men have dropped off a bit this year, particularly defensively, but they’re still among the most dangerous teams in Europe when it comes to set pieces.

6. Fiorentina – 7

Serie A might be the most compelling league in Europe this season, with just three points separating first and fifth. Among the surprise contenders in the mix as we approach the halfway stage are Fiorentina.

Raffaele Palladino’s side have been a breath of fresh air. With David de Gea enjoying a late-career resurgence at one end, La Viola have been just as impressive at the other.

5. Venezia – 7

The Serie A relegation battlers are level with Barcelona for set-piece goals this season, but 37(!) behind them for total league goals.

More than half (53%) of Venezia’s 13 goals in the Italian top flight this season have come from set-piece situations. Only 10 teams across the major leagues have scored fewer in total.

Currently rock bottom of the Italian top flight, they’ll need to continue making the most of their set-pieces if they’re to stand a chance of survival.

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4. Atalanta – 8

Fiorentina aren’t the only surprise package mounting a Scudetto push this season.

Atalanta have continually performed miracles to punch above their weight and bloody the noses of Italy’s elite in recent years, but few expected them to top the Serie A table as we approach the winter break.

They’re more than capable of brilliance from open play, but Friday night’s clash with AC Milan demonstrated the other strings to their bow – with star men Charles De Ketalaere and Ademola Lookman each scoring headed set-piece goals in the 2-1 victory.

3. Arsenal – 8

Obviously Arsenal feature near the top. Each of their last three goals in the Premier League have come via corners, while their frightening efficacy with (and dependence on?) set pieces has dominated much of the discourse in the UK media in recent days.

Sunday’s 1-1 draw at Fulham was a good marker of their strengths and weaknesses. They were utterly dominant in terms of the underlying numbers (2.03xG to 0.16xG), but 1.73 of those ‘expected goals’ came via set-pieces.

In the Premier League so far this season, only Nottingham Forest (35.3%), Crystal Palace (38.5%) and Everton (57.1%) have scored a higher percentage of their non-penalty goals from set-pieces.

2. Wolfsburg – 9

Having James Ward-Prowse certainly helped, but Southampton routinely ranked among the Premier League’s best set-piece sides when Ralph Hasenhuttl was at the helm.

Now the Austrian coach is demonstrating that he’s not relying on one dead-ball magician to make things happen, having coached Wolfsburg to frequently score from set-pieces in the Bundesliga this season.

1. Stuttgart – 9

Last season Stuttgart finished above Bayern Munich to end up runners-up in the Bundesliga. As the reigning champions Leverkusen are finding out, fairytales rarely repeat themselves.

It’s no great surprise that Stuttgart aren’t challenging at the top once again, given the loss of talismanic striker Serhou Guirassy and the addition of Champions League football. But they remain a competitive beast and manager Sebastian Hoeness is a smart tactician that’s exploring other ways of scoring goals and winning games.

Nine of Stuttgart’s 26 Bundesliga goals this season have come via set pieces.