Premier League Set-Piece Takers 2026/27: Penalties, Corners & Free Kicks for Every Team

Looking for every Premier League penalty taker, corner taker and free-kick taker ahead of the 2026/27 season? This guide tracks the latest set-piece responsibilities for all 20 clubs and will be updated throughout the season as injuries, transfers and managerial changes reshape each team's hierarchy.

Dead-ball situations drive a significant share of Premier League goals every season. Corners account for roughly a quarter of all goals across a campaign. Direct free kicks add between 0.05 and 0.10 expected goals per attempt. And a penalty earns approximately 0.76 xG on average, which is why knowing who is first in line from the spot at every club is one of the most consistently valuable pieces of tactical information available before any given match.

The 2026/27 set-piece landscape has been reshaped by an unusually heavy summer of transfers and managerial changes. Harry Wilson moved from Fulham to Leeds, while Elliot Anderson is now on Manchester City after taking 87 corners with Nottingham Forest last season. The roles below are based on tracking data, pre-season confirmation and confirmed squad information verified for the 2026/27 season.

Set-piece responsibilities shift throughout a season as players arrive, are injured or lose their manager's trust. Check back before each round of matches.

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Erling Haaland (Manchester City): The most reliable penalty converter in the league. First in line without ambiguity at the Etihad, and City are structured to win spot kicks at a higher rate than almost any side in the division.

Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United): United's main guy on set pieces also is first up for penalties. His dead-ball dominance extends to direct free kicks and corners, giving him the broadest set-piece footprint of any outfield player in the league.

Cole Palmer (Chelsea): Chelsea's likely first-choice from the spot under new manager Xabi Alonso given his historical conversion rate. Palmer's numbers dropped last season, but he remains Chelsea's top PK taker.

Dominik Szoboszlai (Liverpool): Szoboszlai is expected to battle with Alexander Isak for Liverpool's PK duties now with Mohamed Salah gone. 

Bukayo Saka (Arsenal): Arsenal will continue to have a question from the penalty spot with Viktor Gyokeres still a top option to take penalties. When healthy and on the pitch, Saka usually has first dibs at penalties and at least a split of corners with Declan Rice.

Jean-Philippe Mateta (Crystal Palace): Palace's confirmed first-choice penalty taker ahead of Ismaila Sarr. A reliable converter who demonstrated his nerve from the spot throughout the 2025/26 season.

Chris Wood (Nottingham Forest): Forest's first-choice from the spot when fit ahead of Morgan Gibbs-White and Igor Jesus. Wood has been among the most consistent penalty scorers in the top flight over the last few seasons and carries the responsibility into his sixth year at the City Ground.

Iliman Ndiaye (Everton): Everton's primary penalty taker, listed ahead of James Garner. Two converted penalties in 2025/26 confirms his reliability from the spot.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Leeds United): Leeds' first-choice penalty taker after reviving his career at Elland Road last season. Fourteen league goals in Leeds' debut top-flight season included six from the spot, confirming his dead-ball authority.

Pascal Gross (Brighton): With Danny Welbeck gone to Chelsea, Gross steps up as the most likely penalty taker for Brighton. While in the latter stages of his career, he was vital in the second half of last season after re-joining the club.

Premier League Set-Piece Takers 2026/27: All 20 Clubs

Use the table below to find every Premier League team's projected penalty takers, corner takers and free-kick specialists heading into the 2026/27 season.

Arsenal

Declan Rice is the primary deliverer from corners and indirect free kicks, with Saka heavily involved across all three categories. Gyokeres' possible position on penalties carries genuine weight given his career conversion record of 34 spot kicks from 38 attempts.

Aston Villa

Buendia's control of Villa's dead-ball work has been consistent whenever on the pitch under coach Unai Emery. Cash contributes to corner delivery from the right side, with John McGinn likely to have some kind of role after the departure of Youri Tielemans.

Bournemouth

Marcus Tavernier's involvement across all three set-piece categories makes him the most important dead-ball player in the Bournemouth squad under new coach Marco Rose. Kluivert battled injuries last season, but he was a top corner and PK taker for the Cherries two seasons ago, adding a wrinkle to the mix.

Brentford

Jensen's involvement across all three categories gives him the most complete set-piece profile at the club. His minutes improved under manager Keith Andrews and he ended up taking over Damsgaard when both were on the pitch.

Brighton and Hove Albion

Gross retains the primary corner delivery role that made him one of the best producers in the second half of last season. Without Danny Welbeck, Gross could add even more value, while Maxim De Cuyper is also an option to take left-footed pieces when he's on the pitch.

Chelsea

Palmer's confirmed first-choice penalty status under new manager Xabi Alonso carries over from prior mangers. Reece James heads the corner and free kick delivery order when fit, with Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernandez sharing the workload. Welbeck will also likely be a PK taker when on the pitch for Chelsea.

Coventry City

Coventry's set pieces could be dependent on any new signings. Jack Rudoni closed last season as the main taker, while Matt Grimes took 147 corners. Victor Torp could also steal some, though it's unlikely all three of them will have the same role as they did in the Championship.

Crystal Palace

Jean-Philippe Mateta as Palace's confirmed first-choice penalty taker is the most reliable dead-ball note at Selhurst Park. Yeremy Pino, the Spanish winger who joined Palace last summer, seems to have the leg up on sets unless Adam Wharton continues to steal them under a new manager Pierre Sage.

Everton

James Garner's involvement across free kicks, corners and the backup penalty spot gives him the broadest set-piece contribution of any Everton player. Newcomer Hayden Hackney also figures to take some sets with Everton after taking 121 corners at Middlesbrough last season.

Fulham

Fulham have a new manager with Alvaro Arbeloa and a new No. 9 in Gonzalo Garcia, which likely moves him into the top PK spot. Robinson, Iwobi and Kevin could be in line for set-piece work now that Harry Wilson is gone.

Hull City

Oliver McBurnie is the known as a penalty taker, while any new signing could grab set pieces. Ryan Giles and Mohamed Belloumi seem to be likely options for corners.

Ipswich Town

There are a lot of questions for Ipswich Town in a new league. Abdul Fatawu could come in and take left-footed sets from Leif Davis, while Marcelino Nunez would be on right-footed ones if he continues to have a role. That said, newcomer Sasa Lukic could also be set to share some set pieces with his new teammates.

Leeds United

Anton Stach took over the set-piece role at last season, but the addition of Harry Wilson adds questions about who the dominate taker will be. It's a chance they'll split duties with Stach a right footer and Wilson a leftie. Domicic Calvert-Lewin is the guy from the PK spot.

Liverpool

It's not guaranteed who will take penalties for Liverpool with Isak healthy again and Mohamed Salah gone. Dominik Szoboszlai could be on everything, though that may not be decided until the first penalty. There's also a chance the Hungarian could be on every corner without Salah.

Manchester City

Haaland's penalty dominance is unchanged under new manager Enzo Maresca. City's biggest question isn't Haaland's penalties, it's who emerges as the primary corner and free-kick taker under manager Enzo Maresca. No Bernardo Silva means it'll likely be a combination of Foden, Cherki, Anderson and Reijnders. 

Manchester United

Bruno Fernandes is the guy without question. He's first up in every set piece, while the addition of Youri Tielemans likely provides only backup duties. Bryan Mbeumo and Amad Diallo are options to steal a couple corners from Fernandes, as well.

Newcastle United

With Bruno Guimaraes leaving, the primary penalty responsibility and free kick deliveries are open for other players in a squad that has been reshaped significantly following the departures of Anthony Gordon and Sandro Tonali as well. Lewis Hall likely moves into left-footed sets, while Lewis Miley the right-footed ones.

Nottingham Forest

Chris Wood expects to be the top PK taker if he remains a consistent starter. Morgan Gibbs-White's involvement across direct free kicks and the backup penalty spot gives him added appeal. Neco Williams taking free kicks and some corners adds a set-piece dimension to the defender's role under new manager Oliver Glasner.

Sunderland

Granit Xhaka and Enzo Le Fee held split roles of free kicks and corners throughout all of last season, with the former taking penalties. That expects to be the case again unless a new player is added who will steal from them.

Tottenham Hotspur

With coach Robert De Zerbi at the helm along with a ton of new signings, Tottenham's set-piece situation could be in flux during the opening stages. Pedro Porro expects to take right-footed ones, but that's far from guaranteed with Sandro Tonali, James Maddison, Mohammed Kudus and a few others, not to mention plenty more mentioned in rumors.

Key Set-Piece Notes for 2026/27

The most defined penalty situations heading into the season are at Manchester City and Manchester United, where Erling Haaland and Bruno Fernandes remain in their roles, respectively.

At City, the transition from coach Pep Guardiola's established set-piece routines to manager Enzo Maresca's system is the structural question that affects the entire dead-ball picture. Other places like Tottenham under De Zerbi and Bournemouth under Rose could change how things looked from prior seasons, as well.

We'll update this page throughout the 2026/27 Premier League season as penalty takers, corner takers and free-kick responsibilities change because of injuries, transfers and team selection. Bookmark this page and check back before every Gameweek for the latest set-piece hierarchy. Check RotoWire's player news and injury report before each matchday.