Manchester United’s defensive issues
Manchester United’s defensive issues
Manchester United faced a 2-0 defeat against Hull City in the opening round of the Premier League, with both goals originating from set-pieces. This has brought renewed attention to the team’s vulnerability in defending dead balls. Semi Ajayi scored Hull‘s first goal, reacting quickly to a rebound after a poorly defended corner. Later, Nobel Mendy extended Hull‘s lead from a free-kick.
Since the beginning of last season, Manchester United has conceded goals from corners, a total shared with Leeds as the highest among current Premier League sides within that period. Goals from corners were also conceded against Crystal Palace, Aston Villa, Brentford, and Nottingham Forest in the final two months of last season. While Manchester United won those four games, the ease with which opponents scored from set-pieces was notable.
Hull City‘s head coach, Sergej Jakirovic, acknowledged this defensive frailty, stating that his team had planned to exploit this weakness. Despite an overall improvement in defensive performance since Michael Carrick‘s appointment in January, the percentage of goals conceded from set-pieces remains a significant concern for Manchester United.
Ampadu’s long throw weapon for Leeds
Meanwhile, Ethan Ampadu of Leeds has developed his long throw into a significant offensive tool. After signing a new contract in June that extends until 2030, Ampadu continues to be a key player under Daniel Farke, operating as a deep-lying playmaker and a destroyer.
Ampadu‘s long throws have become a notable feature of Leeds‘ play. Since the start of last season, he has delivered 139 long throws into the box. He is level with Michael Kayode for goals scored from long throws, with five, and ahead for shots from long throws, with 53. An example of its effectiveness was seen in Leeds‘ Carabao Cup win against Nottingham Forest, where a long throw led to a goal for James Justin.
The distance of Ampadu‘s throws has also increased, now averaging 32 metres, up from approximately 28 metres when he first began taking them. This improvement positions him to hit similar distances to specialist throwers like Kayode. The tactical trend of long throws appears to be continuing in the Premier League, with 33 recorded in the opening round of fixtures, consistent with last season’s average of 3.9 per game.
Other notable performances
In other matches, Gonzalo Garcia scored against Chelsea on his debut and followed it with a solo goal in the Carabao Cup against AFC Wimbledon.
In Spain, Chidera Ejuke came off the bench for Sevilla and scored five minutes into the second half, contributing to a 3-1 victory over Athletic Bilbao. In Italy, Hassane Kamara scored for Udinese against Como, though the match ended in a 1-1 draw. In France, Amine Gouiri scored twice for Marseille in a 4-0 win against Strasbourg, while Dame Gueye and Louis Mafouta scored for Le Mans in their 2-2 draw against Brest.
Upcoming Premier League fixtures include Crystal Palace versus Man City on Friday night, and on Saturday, Tottenham will host Newcastle. Sunday’s schedule features Chelsea against Brighton, Leeds welcoming Brentford, and Sunderland facing Fulham. Manchester United will conclude Sunday’s action at Old Trafford against Ipswich.
Source: skysports.com
