Chelsea now behind only Liverpool and Arsenal in key stat that bring them into title race | OneFootball

Three of Chelsea’s 5 goals against West Ham on Friday were set pieces, and in the Evening Standard they praised the Blues and their set piece coach Bernardo Cueva, signed from Brentford just over a year ago.

Clever routines saw dangerous deliveries from Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernandez causing havoc, with Hammers goalkeeper Mads Hermansen all at sea as players surrounded him.

Chelsea third in the league on set piece goals

Bernardo Cueva on the sidelines at Stamford Bridge.

Dom Smith looked back through the Blues’ last 12 months and found positive stats to back up Cueva’s impact:

“Since the beginning of last season, only defending champions Liverpool and Arsenal have scored more Premier League goals from corners than Chelsea,” Smith writes

“Both title rivals have already proven how valuable that can be when the season really gets going and the relentlessness of multiple competitions has truly kicked in.”

Those two have really been setting the standard when it comes to set pieces in the last few years, and it’s no coincidence they’ve also both been in the title race season after season. Chelsea, for their part, will need more than just set pieces to compete for the Premier League this year, but it’s a very important part of the puzzle they now seem to have in place.

Blues make perfect start to new season at set pieces

It’s still important not to get too carried away – regression to the mean is something which will always play a part in stats like this – but right now it’s looking pretty undeniable that the coaching and personnel changes in the last year have moved us in the right direction on this front.

If Neto keeps whipping them in and Joao Pedro keeps getting first contact in the box, West Ham won’t be the only team we beat on set pieces this season.