Welcome to The Radar, a Sky Sports column where Nick Wright blends statistics and opinion to highlight essential Premier League narratives. In this season's opening edition we focus on three key points: - Manchester United's struggle to defend corners - Ethan Ampadu's increasingly dangerous long throws - A player to keep an eye on this weekend Michael Carrick bristled at the claim that United's loss to Hull City was due to a lack of passion, pointing out that both goals came from set‑piece situations.
Unfortunately, this is not the first time the Red Devils have shown vulnerability when defending dead balls. Hull's opening goal – a rebound finished at close range by Semi Ajayi – marked the twelfth corner that United have conceded since the start of last season. That tally puts them level with Leeds United for the joint‑highest total among all current Premier League clubs over the same period. 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.
While those goals did not affect the outcomes – United won each of those matches and ultimately finished third – the footage makes it clear how readily opponents have found space inside United's box. In the Hull game, Harry Maguire was seen inadvertently shielding his own teammate Noussair Mazraoui, allowing Ajayi the room he needed.
Similar lapses were evident when Maxence Lacroix, Ross Barkley and Morato scored unchallenged for Palace, Villa and Forest respectively. Hull manager Sergej Jakirović even highlighted United's set‑piece frailty in his post‑match press conference, noting that his staff had prepared specific plans to exploit the weakness. Carrick can defend his record to some extent.
Since taking over in January, United have improved defensively: they had let in 31 goals in 21 league games before his arrival last season, but have only conceded 20 in 18 games since. 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 have been prolific from dead‑ball situations. Their 26 set‑piece goals last season were the second‑highest tally in the Premier League, trailing only champions Arsenal.
Until they tighten up at the back, however, the risk of another Hull‑style collapse looms. Their next test comes against Ipswich Town at Old Trafford on Sunday, a match that will be streamed live on Sky Sports. Ipswich will be eager to add their name to the list of teams that have capitalised on United's corner woes.
Switching focus to the north of England, Leeds United may feel they struck gold by securing a new contract for Ethan Ampadu in June. The 23‑year‑old, whose deal runs until 2030, continues to thrive under manager Daniel Farke. Ampadu is praised as an exceptional leader by his coach and has been singled out by former England defender Jamie Carragher as one of his favourite midfielders.
He operates as a deep‑lying playmaker and a ball‑winning destroyer, contributing both defensively and offensively. Yet his most distinctive weapon is his long throw. Since the start of last season, Ampadu has delivered 139 long throws into the opposition box, second only to Michael Kayode.
In terms of shots generated from those throws, he is level with Kayode at five, and he also matches Kayode’s goal tally from long throws. Ampadu’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 hands – Forest failed to clear it and James Justin bundled the ball home. Ampadu celebrated by turning to the home crowd, which had previously mocked his throw‑ins.
He recalls the early criticism from Leeds supporters when he first began using the technique last season. In February he admitted, "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 comments from teammate Brenden Aaronson after two pre‑season throw‑in goals against Liverpool illustrate the progress: "Ethan came back and started throwing it about 20 yards further and 20 yards harder," Aaronson said, exaggerating slightly but capturing the improvement. Data backs up the anecdote. 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 development, especially as long throws have become a defining trend in the Premier League.
The opening round of fixtures featured 33 long throws, close to the previous season’s average of 3.9 per game, suggesting the tactic will feature heavily at Elland Road on Sunday. Beyond United and Leeds, other storylines emerge.
Gonzalo García, 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. He will look to trouble Sunderland when Fulham travel to the Stadium of Light on Sunday. Sky Sports will broadcast five Premier League matches this weekend, beginning with Crystal Palace versus Manchester City on Friday night.
Saturday sees Tottenham host Newcastle, while Sunday offers a packed slate: Chelsea versus Brighton, Leeds versus Brentford at 2 pm, and Sunderland versus Fulham in the simultaneous kick‑off, all 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.
Fans can also try their luck in the Super 6 competition for a chance to win £1 million, with free entry available. In summary, Manchester United must address their corner‑defending deficiencies if they are to avoid costly setbacks, while Ethan Ampadu’s evolving long‑throw ability provides Leeds with a potent, unconventional attacking weapon. Both narratives illustrate how set‑piece mastery – both defensive and offensive – continues to shape the Premier League’s tactical landscape.