Welcome to The Radar, a Sky Sports column where Nick Wright blends statistics and commentary to highlight essential Premier League narratives. In this season's opening edition we cover three key points: - Manchester United's persistent trouble defending corners - Ethan Ampadu's increasingly threatening long throws - A player to keep an eye on this weekend Former United midfielder Michael Carrick snapped back at critics who blamed the team's loss to Hull City on a lack of passion, pointing out that both goals against them originated from set‑piece situations. This isn’t the first time United have shown vulnerability when defending dead balls, and the pattern is becoming harder to ignore. Hull’s opening goal came when Semi Ajayi reacted quickest to a rebound and tucked the ball away at close range.
That strike marked the 12th corner that Manchester United have allowed since the start of the 2022‑23 campaign – a tally that puts them level with Leeds United for the highest number of corners conceded among all current Premier League clubs over that period. Ajayi’s goal was quickly followed by a free‑kick from Nobel Mendy, and United’s defensive frailties were further exposed by corner goals they surrendered to Crystal Palace, Aston Villa, Brentford and Nottingham Forest in the final two months of last season. While those goals did not cost United any points – they won each of those matches and finished the season in third place – the footage makes it clear how readily opponents have found space and time inside United’s penalty area. In the Hull game, for instance, Ajayi managed to slip into a pocket because Harry Maguire appeared to be holding his own teammate, Noussair Mazraoui, rather than marking the incoming attacker.
Similar lapses were evident when Maxence Lacroix for Palace, Ross Barkley for Villa and Morato for Forest all received the ball unchallenged and converted from set‑piece deliveries. Hull’s head coach Sergej Jakirovic even highlighted United’s corner weakness in his post‑match press conference, explaining that he and his video analyst had devised specific plans to exploit the Red Devils’ defensive shortcomings.
Carrick, however, can point to an overall improvement in United’s defensive record since taking over as interim manager in January. Before his arrival last season, United had let in 31 goals in 21 league games; under his guidance they have conceded just 20 in the subsequent 18 matches.
Nevertheless, United now sit third in the league for the proportion of goals they have allowed from set‑pieces since Carrick’s first game in charge, underscoring that the issue remains significant. On the flip side, United have been prolific when attacking set‑pieces, scoring 26 such goals last term – second only to champions Arsenal – which shows they understand the value of dead‑ball situations. Until United can tighten up at the far post and clear their own corners, they risk another collapse similar to the Hull defeat.
Their next test comes against Ipswich Town at Old Trafford on Sunday, a match that will be broadcast live on Sky Sports. Ipswich will undoubtedly look to capitalize on United’s set‑piece vulnerability.
Switching focus to Leeds United, the club secured a notable coup this summer by extending the contract of their young captain Ethan Ampadu until 2030. Manager Javi Gracia has praised Ampadu as a leader on the pitch, and former England international Jamie Carragher has called him one of his favourite midfielders.
Ampadu operates primarily as a deep‑lying playmaker in the No 6 role, balancing creative distribution with defensive tenacity. Arguably his most distinctive weapon is his long throw. Since the beginning of last season he has delivered 139 long throws into the opposition box, a figure only surpassed by Michael Kayode of Brentford. In terms of shots generated from those throws, Ampadu is tied with Kayode at five, and he also shares the same goal tally from long throws.
Ampadu’s ability to turn a throw‑in into a scoring opportunity was on display in Tuesday’s Carabao Cup tie against Nottingham Forest at the City Ground. Although the delivery was not his cleanest – the ball floated in a looping arc toward the near post after slipping from his grip – Forest failed to clear the danger and James Justin bundled the ball home.
Ampadu celebrated the goal by turning toward the home crowd, who had previously mocked his throw‑in length. He admits that early in the season some Leeds supporters were sceptical about the effectiveness of his long throws. In February he recalled being "battered a little bit by Leeds fans, saying it wasn’t actually that long," acknowledging that his early attempts were inconsistent. However, recent pre‑season matches against Liverpool saw two of his throws directly lead to goals, prompting teammate Brenden Aaronson to describe the improvement as "unbelievable" and claim Ampadu was now throwing "about 20 yards further and 20 yards harder." While Aaronson’s figures may be 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 at present, putting him on par with specialist throw‑in player Michael Kayode. This progression suggests that dedicated practice and technical refinement are paying off. Leeds will hope to reap further benefits as long throws become an increasingly common tactical tool. The opening round of fixtures this season featured 33 long throws, aligning closely with last season’s average of 3.9 per game.
Fans can expect to see even more of these aerial weapons at Elland Road on Sunday. In other news, Fulham’s new signing Gonzalo García, who arrived from Real Madrid for £34 million, made an immediate impact by scoring a solo goal in the Carabao Cup victory over AFC Wimbledon, following up a poacher’s finish against Chelsea on his debut. García will look to trouble Sunderland when Fulham meet them on Sunday.
Sky Sports will broadcast five Premier League matches this weekend, beginning with Crystal Palace versus Manchester City on Friday night. Saturday’s slate includes Tottenham hosting Newcastle, while Sunday offers a packed schedule: Chelsea versus Brighton, Leeds versus Brentford at 2 pm, and a simultaneous Sunderland versus Fulham kickoff, all available on Sky Sports+. Manchester United close the weekend with their clash against Ipswich at Old Trafford. Looking ahead, Monday Night Football will feature Aston Villa hosting Arsenal at Villa Park on August 31.
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