1. Set Piece Improvement?

Manchester United scored both of their first-half goals from set-piece patterns against Southampton, an area that caused significant issues last season.

In 2023, over 40% of corners United defended led to a shot on goal, and of their 57 goals scored, only eight were headers, with just two coming from set pieces.

Andreas Georgson

To address these concerns, United brought in Andreas Georgson from Lillestrøm as a set-piece specialist.

Georgson had previously worked with Jason Wilcox at Southampton, where he drastically improved their set-piece effectiveness, both offensively and defensively.

Manchester United already seem to be reaping the benefits of his expertise, scoring two set-piece goals against Southampton.

Both came from short corners, exploiting an overload of the single defender stationed at the corner of the box – a tactic that clearly worked.

United will be hoping to build on this newfound set-piece success moving forward.

Matthijs de Ligt

A key figure in United’s set-piece improvement is Matthijs de Ligt.

Against Southampton, de Ligt won 100% of his aerial duels and scored his first goal in a United shirt from a Bruno Fernandes cross following a corner.

His presence in both boxes, combined with his defensive awareness and physicality, makes him a vital asset.

De Ligt’s ability to dominate in the air will significantly bolster United’s set-piece threat, both defensively and offensively, throughout the season.

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