Big Chances, set pieces and why Chelsea still has much room for improvement

Attacking set pieces

Unfortunately, Chelsea’s set-piece issues aren’t limited to defending them. Chelsea has taken the most free kicks among the top six teams, yet has accumulated the lowest xG. The Blues have earned just 0.59 xG from 137 set-piece opportunities. 

This is due to only four of them resulting in shots. Granted, some of these free kicks would have been won in the Blues’ defensive third, making it unlikely they’d result in a shot. However, four shots from indirect free kicks is a dismal statistic.

The story is similar for corners. Chelsea ranks joint-second for corners taken among the top six (65), but ranks lowest for the proportion of them that have resulted in shots (29%). This is disgraceful, given the number of skilled crossers in the team. The Blues also rank 4th amongst the top six for xG per shot from corners (0.11).

Conclusion

The defensive set-piece numbers are particularly concerning given Chelsea's poor disciplinary record. Of the top six teams, Maresca’s men rank third-worst for fouls per game (11.5), with Liverpool (11.8) and Arsenal (12.8) committing more. However, the Blues have the worst yellow card record of all the top six teams (3.8 per game). This makes Chelsea more exposed to defensive set pieces.

These three factors, combined with an abysmal disciplinary record, suggest that while Chelsea currently sits in third place, their performances have been far from impressive. If the Blues continue on this path, they are more likely to slip down the table than climb it.