Outswinger

Here is a question: Which team takes the most corner kicks? Who concedes the most corner kicks? If you don't know, then you're like me - ignorant.

Well buckle up, prepare yourself - I have discovered a small piece of this potentially vital data. What does it tell us? I do not know. But I think it is the first step toward a more sophisticated understanding of how to anticipate where the points from corner kicks will come from.

For corners taken, the top three teams for the 2008-09 season are Arsenal (185), Liverpool (183), and Man U (176). The bottom three teams are Middlesborough (109), Sunderland (106) and Newcastle (102). That is a HUGE difference. Not all premier league winger/corner whipper-inners are the same - opportunities vary greatly.

Which teams concede the most corners? Hull and Middlesborough have given over 180 so far this season. But wait! Don't ass-u-me that corners are mostly given by the bottom feeders. Aston Villa have conceded a whopping 160 corners (Man U have conceded a stingy 85).

What about home v. away corners taken/conceded? I don't know. We must continue researching this and find out. I would say that based on these very basic discoveries, there is much more valuable info to unearth when looking into corners.

Check it out: http://www.365stats.com/football/index.php?p=league&type=entertain&div=E0&sort=cornersa&dir=desc