Tag
Set Piece
Set Piece
7 definitions
A mocking nickname for teams that score most of their goals from corners, free kicks, and throw-ins rather than open play. It implies they can't break teams down through actual football and have to rely on set pieces to get results. Sometimes it's fair criticism, sometimes it's just cope from fans whose team just lost to a header from a corner.
Arsenal got called Set Piece FC during the 2024-25 season after scoring loads of goals from corners and free kicks. Fans of other clubs used it as an insult, but Arsenal supporters just leaned into it since the points counted the same.
Robbie
Jan 17, 2026
A throw-in that reaches the penalty area, effectively becoming a set piece. Rory Delap made it famous at Stoke - his throws were like crosses, and teams would defend them like corners. Not many players can do it properly, but those who can turn every throw near the corner flag into a scoring opportunity. It requires technique and strength.
Rory Delap's long throws terrorized the Premier League for years. Stoke would win a throw in the final third, Delap would wind up, and suddenly it was a corner kick equivalent. Teams genuinely feared it.
Robbie
Jan 14, 2026