West Ham are struggling badly in the Premier League. The team sits in 19th place and head coach Graham Potter faces rising criticism and scrutiny inside the club.
One of the main issues concerns their defending of corners. They have already conceded seven goals from corners in only five matches.
Set-pieces are increasingly decisive as clubs now employ specialist coaches who search for ways to expose opponents.
A detailed analysis shows why West Ham continue to suffer from corners and how rivals exploit them.
The tactic of blocking the goalkeeper
Take the 5-1 loss to Chelsea in August. Enzo Maresca’s side scored three times directly from corners.
One clear tactic stood out. Liam Delap stayed tight to West Ham goalkeeper Mads Hermansen. His only task was to restrict the keeper’s freedom without committing a foul.
This approach is not new. It mirrors basketball screening, where a player blocks a defender to create space.
Premier League teams last season often tried to counter this by placing a defender next to the goalkeeper as a bodyguard. But the blocker would then force that defender into the goalkeeper, crowding the area even more.
Another factor has changed too. Referees now appear less strict on contact with goalkeepers. That shift makes the tactic even more effective for attacking teams.
For Chelsea’s first goal, Delap pressed against Hermansen, stopping him from reaching the ball. With 11 players crammed inside the six-yard box, space disappeared completely.
Marc Cucurella ran to the near post, outmuscling his marker. Other Chelsea attackers drove towards goal, forcing West Ham’s defenders even deeper. Cucurella’s flick found Joao Pedro free in front of the retreating defence, who scored with ease.
Vulnerability at the far post
In past seasons, most sides targeted the near post from corners. Chelsea did the same against West Ham, but a new trend has emerged.
By overloading the near post, defending teams naturally leave fewer players at the far post. Opponents now deliberately target that weaker area.
Against Spurs on 13 September, West Ham filled the near post, probably because of Chelsea’s earlier success there. Spurs, however, attacked the far post. They placed two attackers against one defender, leaving Pape Matar Sarr unmarked.
Spurs did not block the goalkeeper like Chelsea. Instead, they blocked defenders trying to move across.
The ball floated towards the far post. As West Ham defenders shifted over, Spurs’ players held their ground. That blocking stopped West Ham from reaching Sarr.
With so many bodies inside the six-yard box, Hermansen again stayed rooted to his line. Sarr headed in unchallenged and celebrated by pointing at set-piece coach Andreas Georgson.
Palace’s flawless routine
Crystal Palace gave perhaps the clearest example of all. In West Ham’s recent defeat, Oliver Glasner’s side combined every trick into one routine.
Jean-Philippe Mateta acted as a blocker on goalkeeper Alphonse Areola, restricting his movement.
At the far post, Palace used basketball-style screening. Adam Wharton placed his body between Marc Guehi and his marker, giving Guehi a free run.
Daichi Kamada sent a looping cross towards the far post. Chris Richards and Maxence Lacroix positioned themselves behind West Ham’s defenders and prevented them from moving across.
Guehi’s header struck the bar, but Mateta, still unmarked by the goalkeeper, tapped in the rebound.
West Ham must fix their set-piece weakness
Corner routines in the Premier League now reach remarkable levels of sophistication.
Blocking goalkeepers, filling the six-yard box, overloading the far post, looping crosses, and basketball-style screening all trouble West Ham.
If West Ham want to escape their current crisis, they must turn these set-piece weaknesses into strengths again. In past years, the club often thrived on dead-ball situations. Without improvement, their fight for survival looks even harder.
