Welcome to The Radar, a Sky Sports column where Nick Wright mixes statistics with opinion to highlight essential Premier League stories. In the season's opening edition we focus on three points: - Manchester United's struggle to defend corners - Ethan Ampadu's increasingly dangerous long throws - A player worth watching this weekend Michael Carrick bristled when critics claimed United’s loss to Hull City stemmed from a lack of passion, pointing out that both goals came from set‑piece situations. This defensive frailty on dead balls is not new for the club.
Hull’s opening goal, a close‑range rebound finished by Semi Ajayi, marked the twelfth 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 sides. Ajayi’s strike was quickly followed by a free‑kick goal 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. Those goals did not affect the outcomes then – United won all four matches and secured a third‑place finish – but reviewing the footage now reveals how easily opponents have found space inside United’s penalty area. In the Hull match, Harry Maguire’s puzzling decision to hold his own teammate Noussair Mazraoui created a gap that allowed Ajayi to slip through.
Similar lapses were evident when Maxence Lacroix, Ross Barkley and Morato scored unchallenged for Palace, Villa and Forest respectively. Hull manager Sergej Jakirovic even highlighted United’s corner weakness in his post‑match press conference, noting that his coaching staff had prepared specific plans to exploit it. Carrick can defend his record to some extent.
Since taking over in January, United have improved defensively: they conceded 31 goals in 21 league games before his arrival last season, but only 20 in 18 games under his stewardship. Nonetheless, United now rank third in the league for the proportion of goals conceded from set‑pieces since Carrick’s first game in charge, underscoring that the problem persists. On the offensive side, United have been prolific from dead‑ball situations.
Their 26 set‑piece goals last season were second only to champions Arsenal, demonstrating that the team can turn corners and free‑kicks into scoring opportunities. The imbalance, however, means that until United can tighten up at the back, they remain vulnerable to teams that can capitalize on aerial deliveries – a risk that looms ahead of their upcoming clash with Ipswich Town at Old Trafford. Switching focus to Leeds United, the club secured a notable achievement this summer by extending Ethan Ampadu’s contract through 2030. The 22‑year‑old captain, praised by manager Daniel Farke and lauded by pundit Jamie Carragher as one of his favourite midfielders, excels both as a deep‑lying playmaker and a ball‑winning destroyer in the No 6 role.
Yet his most distinctive weapon may be his long throw, a set‑piece tool that has become increasingly lethal. Since the start of last season Ampadu has delivered 139 long throws into the opposition box, trailing only Michael Kayode in total volume. In terms of shots generated from those throws, Ampadu matches Kayode with 53 attempts and shares the same five goals tally.
His latest long‑throw contribution came in Tuesday’s Carabao Cup victory over Nottingham Forest at the City Ground, where a looping throw from near the near‑post eventually fell to James Justin, who bundled the ball home. Ampadu admits his early attempts were not always spectacular. In February he recalled receiving criticism from Leeds supporters who claimed his throws were not truly long.
He responded, "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 directly lead to goals, prompting teammate Brenden Aaronson to describe the improvement as "unbelievable" and claim Ampadu was throwing "about 20 yards further and 20 yards harder." While Aaronson’s exaggeration adds colour, the data confirms a steady rise in Ampadu’s average throw distance – now averaging 32 metres, up from roughly 28 metres at the start of the season, putting him on par with specialist Kayode. Leeds will hope to reap the rewards of this tactical nuance as the league sees a resurgence of long throws. The opening round featured 33 long throws across matches, aligning with last season’s record average of 3.9 per game.
Fans can expect even more of these aerial assaults at Elland Road on Sunday. Elsewhere, Gonzalo Garcia, Fulham’s £34 million acquisition from Real Madrid, followed a poacher’s finish against Chelsea with a brilliant solo goal in the Carabao Cup win over AFC Wimbledon. Garcia will look to trouble Sunderland when the two sides meet on Sunday.
Sky Sports will broadcast five Premier League games this weekend, beginning with Crystal Palace versus Manchester City on Friday night. Saturday sees Tottenham host Newcastle, while Sunday offers a packed schedule: Chelsea versus Brighton, Leeds versus Brentford at 2 pm, and Sunderland versus Fulham kicking off simultaneously on Sky Sports+. Manchester United conclude the weekend with their match against Ipswich at Old Trafford.
Looking ahead, Monday Night Football will feature Aston Villa hosting Arsenal at Villa Park on August 31. Fans can also try their luck in the Super 6 competition for a chance to win £1 million, with free entry available.