Welcome to The Radar, a Sky Sports column where Nick Wright blends statistics with opinion to highlight essential Premier League narratives. In this season's opening edition we examine three key topics: - Manchester United's struggles defending corners - Ethan Ampadu's increasingly lethal long throws - A player to keep an eye on this weekend Former United midfielder Michael Carrick snapped at the claim that the Red Devils' loss to Hull City was due to a lack of passion, pointing out that both Hull goals originated from set‑piece situations. This defensive frailty on dead balls is not a new phenomenon for United; it has been a recurring issue over the past twelve months.
Hull’s opening goal came when Semi Ajayi pounced on a rebound and finished at close range. That strike marked the 12th corner that United have conceded since the start of last season – a tally that puts them level with Leeds for the highest number of corner concessions among current Premier League clubs. Ajayi’s goal was quickly followed by a free‑kick from Nobel Mendy, and United later allowed corner goals against Crystal Palace, Aston Villa, Brentford and Nottingham Forest in the final two months of the previous campaign. While those goals did not cost United points last season – they won all four of those matches and secured a third‑place finish – the video replays reveal how unchallenged the opposition were.
In the Ajayi scenario, Harry Maguire inexplicably blocked his own teammate Noussair Mazraoui, creating space for the attacker. Similarly, Maxence Lacroix for Palace, Ross Barkley for Villa and Morato for Forest all found themselves virtually unmarked when they headed in from corners. Hull manager Sergej Jakirović highlighted United’s vulnerability during his post‑match press conference, explaining that he and his video analyst had devised specific plans to exploit the Red Devils’ weakness on set‑pieces.
Carrick, however, can point to defensive improvements since taking over in January. United had allowed 31 goals in 21 league games before his appointment, a figure that has dropped to 20 goals in 18 matches under his stewardship. Nevertheless, United now rank third in the league for the proportion of goals they concede from set‑pieces, underscoring that the problem remains significant. On the offensive side, United excelled last season, netting 26 set‑piece goals – the second‑highest total after champions Arsenal.
Until they tighten up at the back when corners and free‑kicks arrive, they risk another collapse like the one against Hull. Ipswich Town, who travel to Old Trafford on Sunday, will be eager to take advantage of that weakness. Turning to the other headline, Leeds United secured a notable coup in the summer by extending Ethan Ampadu’s contract until 2030.
The 22‑year‑old captain, praised by manager Javi Gracia as an exceptional leader and lauded by pundit Jamie Carragher as one of his favourite midfielders, combines deep‑lying playmaking duties with a ball‑winning, destroyer role in the No 6 position. Ampadu’s most distinctive weapon, however, is his long throw. Since the beginning of last season he has delivered 139 long throws into the opposition box, ranking him just behind Michael Kayode in the Premier League. In terms of shots generated from those throws, Ampadu sits level with Kayode at five, and he has matched Kayode’s goal tally from long throws as well.
The Welshman’s long‑throw prowess was on display in Tuesday’s Carabao Cup victory over Nottingham Forest at the City Ground. Although the delivery was not his cleanest – the ball looped toward the near post after slipping from his grasp – Forest failed to clear, and James Justin bundled the ball home.
Ampadu celebrated by turning to the home crowd, which had previously teased him for his early‑season attempts. Ampadu admitted that Leeds supporters initially mocked his throws, recalling a February comment: "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." Recent pre‑season matches against Liverpool saw two of his throws lead directly 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 were hyperbolic, the data confirms a steady increase: Ampadu’s average throw distance has risen from roughly 28 metres in February to about 32 metres now, putting him on par with specialist Kayode. Leeds will hope this upward trajectory continues, as long throws have become a defining tactical trend.
The opening round of fixtures featured 33 long throws across the league, mirroring last season’s average of 3.9 per game. Expect even more of these aerial weapons at Elland Road on Sunday. Elsewhere in the weekend’s action, Gonzalo García, the £34 million Real Madrid acquisition, followed a poacher’s finish against Chelsea with a brilliant solo goal in Fulham’s Carabao Cup win over AFC Wimbledon. García will look to trouble Sunderland when Fulham face 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 sees Tottenham host Newcastle, while Sunday offers a packed schedule: Chelsea take on Brighton, Leeds welcome Brentford at 2 pm, and Sunderland meet Fulham in a simultaneous kick‑off on Sky Sports+. Manchester United close the weekend with their clash against Ipswich at Old Trafford. Looking ahead, the Monday Night Football fixture pits Aston Villa against Arsenal at Villa Park on August 31.
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