Welcome to The Radar, a Sky Sports column where Nick Wright mixes statistics with opinion to highlight essential Premier League narratives. In the season's opening edition we cover three key points: - Manchester United's struggles defending corners - Ethan Ampadu's increasingly potent long throws - A player to keep an eye on this weekend Michael Carrick pushed back against the claim that United's loss to Hull City was due to a lack of passion, emphasizing that both Hull goals originated from set‑piece situations. Unfortunately, defending dead balls has been a recurring weakness for the Red Devils.
Hull’s opener came when Semi Ajayi flicked a rebound into the net from close range. That goal marked the twelfth corner that United have conceded since the start of last season – a figure that puts them level with Leeds for the highest total among all current Premier League clubs over that period. Ajayi’s strike was quickly followed by a free‑kick goal from Nobel Mendy, and United then went on to concede further corner goals against Crystal Palace, Aston Villa, Brentford and Nottingham Forest during the final two months of the previous campaign.
While those goals did not affect the outcomes – United won each of those matches and secured a third‑place finish – the footage makes it clear how readily opponents have found space in United’s box. In the Hull game, Harry Maguire was seen holding back his own teammate Noussair Mazraoui, allowing Ajayi to carve out room. Similarly, Maxence Lacroix, Ross Barkley and Morato enjoyed virtually no pressure when they headed in for Palace, Villa and Forest respectively.
Hull’s head coach Sergej Jakirovic even mentioned in his post‑match press conference that his staff had devised specific plans to exploit United’s vulnerability on set‑pieces. Carrick can point to some defensive progress since taking over in January.
United had let in 31 goals in 21 league games before his arrival last season, but have only allowed 20 in 18 matches under his guidance. Nevertheless, the club now ranks third for the proportion of goals conceded from set‑pieces since Carrick’s first game in charge, underscoring that the problem remains significant.
On the flip side, United have been prolific when attacking set‑pieces. Their 26 goals from corners and free‑kicks last season were second only to champions Arsenal across the league. Until they can tighten up at the back when the ball is swung in, they risk another collapse similar to the Hull defeat. Ipswich Town, who travel to Old Trafford on Sunday, will be eager to become the next side to profit from United’s corner frailty.
Turning to the other story of the column, Leeds United secured a notable coup in the summer by extending Ethan Ampadu’s contract until 2030. The young captain has flourished under manager Daniel Farke, earning praise as an outstanding leader and being singled out by pundit Jamie Carragher as one of his favourite midfielders. Ampadu operates as a deep‑lying playmaker and a ball‑winning destroyer in the No 6 role, but his most distinctive weapon is his long throw.
Since the beginning of last season he has delivered 139 long throws into the opposition box, second only to Michael Kayode. In terms of shots generated from those throws, Ampadu matches Kayode with 53 attempts and shares the top spot for goals scored from them, with five each.
The Welshman added another long‑throw assist in Tuesday’s Carabao Cup victory over Nottingham Forest at the City Ground. Although the delivery was a bit sloppy – the ball floated towards the near post after slipping from his hands – Forest failed to clear it and James Justin bundled the ball home. Ampadu celebrated by turning to the home crowd, who had previously teased him about the length of his throws. Ampadu admitted that Leeds supporters had given him a hard time when he first started using the technique early last season.
He recalled in February, "I got battered a little bit by Leeds fans, saying it wasn't actually that long, which was true, sometimes it's not great. But it's getting longer." More recently, after two of his throws produced goals in a pre‑season friendly against Liverpool, teammate Brenden Aaronson described the improvement as "unbelievable" and claimed Ampadu was now throwing "about 20 yards further and 20 yards harder." While Aaronson’s figures were exaggerated, the data tells a clear story: Ampadu’s average throw distance has risen steadily from roughly 28 metres in February to about 32 metres now, putting him on par with specialist Michael Kayode. Leeds hope to reap the tactical benefits of this trend, especially as long throws have become a defining feature of modern English football. The opening round of fixtures featured 33 long throws, mirroring last season’s average of 3.9 per game, and fans can expect even more of them at Elland Road on Sunday.
Elsewhere in the weekend’s action, Gonzalo García followed a poacher’s finish against Chelsea with a brilliant solo effort in Fulham’s Carabao Cup win over AFC Wimbledon. The £34 million Real Madrid acquisition will look to trouble Sunderland when they meet on Sunday. Sky Sports will broadcast five Premier League matches this weekend, starting with Crystal Palace versus Manchester City on Friday night. Saturday sees Tottenham host Newcastle, while Sunday offers a packed slate: Chelsea vs Brighton, Leeds vs Brentford at 2 pm, and Sunderland vs Fulham kicking off simultaneously on Sky Sports+.
Manchester United close the Sunday schedule with their clash against Ipswich at Old Trafford. Looking ahead, Monday Night Football pits Aston Villa against Arsenal at Villa Park on August 31. Fans can also try their luck in the Super 6 competition for a chance at a £1 million prize, with free entry available.