Billy Coulston | Profile

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Join date: Jan 13, 2023

About

Having gained over ten years' experience working as an analyst in the Premier League, improving a team's output from set plays has always been an aspect of the game that I believe could add considerable value to their overall performance. This is largely due to the frequency of set plays within games and their relatively closed nature, compared to the unpredictability associated with open play situations.

As I’m sure you would agree, set plays throughout all levels of the game tend to be fairly basic, repetitive and lack creativity, although this now is changing at the highest level, with specialist set play coaches and analysts becoming more common within clubs.

The aim of this content is to inspire managers, coaches, analysts and players throughout all levels of football to develop a more creative mindset when it comes to attacking set plays.

Feel free to get in touch via email: support@creativesetplays.com

Billy Coulston | Creative Set Plays

Posts (14)

Nov 26, 2025 ∙ 4 min

How Aston Villa Became the Premier League’s Free-Kick Outliers

Morgan Rogers’ stunning free kick against Leeds United wasn’t just a brilliant moment of individual quality, it was the latest example of Aston Villa’s growing reputation as one of the most dangerous set-play teams in the Premier League. Only a week earlier, Emiliano Buendia had opened the scoring with a remarkably similar strike. Two different players, two different matches, but almost identical outcomes. Had Buendia not been substituted, Rogers may never have stepped up to take the free...

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Nov 14, 2025 ∙ 4 min

Arsenal’s Growing Reliance on Set Plays: How Arteta’s Side Became Europe’s Most Productive Dead-Ball Team

Arsenal have emerged as one of Europe’s most dangerous set play teams, leading the continent in set play xG per game for 2025/26. Although the dataset is still small, the rise continues a five-year trend shaped by the influence of set play coach Nicolas Jover. His emphasis on consistent principles, inswinging deliveries and well-timed crowding movements has created a reliable attacking framework, supported by recruitment focused on aerial strength and delivery quality. With players like Declan R

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Nov 4, 2025 ∙ 3 min

The Art of the Dead Ball: Europe’s Top 10 Set-Play Specialists

Few aspects of football offer as much potential for controlled creativity as the set play. Corners, free-kicks and wide deliveries give teams a rare moment to choreograph chaos, a chance to manipulate time, space and anticipation. In the margins where elite matches are decided, set-play proficiency can be the difference between a draw and a famous victory. In this analysis, we dive deep into Hudl StatsBombs data, covering the top five European leagues (Premier League, La Liga, Serie A,...

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