Dead Ball Addiction, from the Premier League to the "Three Lions"

Domestic leagues often reflect the playing styles of national football teams. From Italy's defensive catenaccio philosophy to Spain's tiki-taka style, league evolution stems from this. Therefore, the England national team is predicted to be swept up in the trend in their domestic league, which is addicted to dead-balls.

The coach of "The Three Lions," Thomas Tuchel, does not shy away from the reality in the English Premier League. "We are in an era of English Premier League play that heavily relies on physicality, where set pieces, free kicks, corner kicks, and throw-ins are highly valued. That is the reality; set pieces have become an important part of our league, surpassing other leagues," he said.

It is not surprising that England heavily relied on set pieces in their last match against Uruguay on Saturday (28/3/2026). Besides the significant opportunities that almost exclusively came from set pieces, England's only goal was also scored through a corner kick scheme. The goal scorer was defender Ben White, who hails from Arsenal, a club known as the "king of set pieces."

Tuchel is fully committed to preparing their best weapons. This was evident in the goal process during yesterday's friendly match. The most interesting aspect was the movement of midfielder Adam Wharton, who blocked a Uruguayan player, causing him to fall, thereby creating space for striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

That goal is a hallmark of the dead ball scheme in the English League, which has recently become controversial. There have been many physical confrontations within the penalty area. Players seek to take advantage of the ambiguous regulations. England replicated this. The result was effective; Calvert-Lewin was freed and able to provide an assist for White.

Tuchel stated that he would not waste the advantages of his players in executing set pieces. "It is not a main part of our approach, but it must be utilized. We need to devise a good plan to make set pieces an advantage," said the German coach.

In the English Premier League, the reliance on set pieces has become an obsession. A total of 27 goals have been scored from set pieces, excluding penalties, since the beginning of the season. This proportion is the largest in the league's history over the past 15 years.

In this season's Premier League, according to BBC Sport data, 27 percent of the 845 goals scored, excluding penalties, have come from set pieces. This is the highest percentage in the league in 15 years. Arsenal, the team with the most goals from set pieces, also tops the league table.

All clubs, from the bottom to the top, are following this trend as it has proven to be effective. Just look at the league leaders, Arsenal. Declan Rice and his teammates are at the top while also holding the status of being the highest goal scorers from set pieces. This is not a coincidence.

"The Three Lions" will benefit because many of the set-piece specialists in English clubs are part of the national team. Arsenal has sent Rice and Bukayo Saka, who are the main corner kick executors for the team. Chelsea's wing-back, Reece James, can also serve as an alternative executor.

Rice has already produced nine assists across all competitions since the beginning of the season, six of which are from set pieces. Meanwhile, James has created five assists from set pieces. Additionally, Rice is also the primary executor for Arsenal in taking long throws.

In addition to being set-piece executors, England also has reliable targets in the penalty area. They can rely on tall and strong players, such as center-backs Dan Burn and Harry Maguire, in aerial duels. England's arsenal is considered very complete from all aspects.

Paul Robinson, former England goalkeeper, believes that set pieces could be a differentiating factor for "The Three Lions" in the World Cup. "Set pieces can help England win the World Cup. We will take advantage of narrow margins, especially in tight matches during the later stages of the tournament," he said.

With an advantage in set pieces, do not be surprised if England's play will feel monotonous in the upcoming matches and tournaments. Nevertheless, they will not care. For a team that has not won a major trophy since 1966, the most important thing is the championship title.

Regardless of the influence of domestic leagues, England is indeed well-known for its proficiency in executing set pieces. The evidence lies in the 2018 World Cup in Russia, where they concluded the tournament by breaking the record for the most set piece goals in the history of the competition with 9 goals.

So, it can be concluded that the Three Lions are simply continuing a tradition, not simply following a domestic league trend. (AP/REUTERS)