Despite popular belief, there’s little to no correlation between the number of corner kicks a team takes and the number of goals they score in the Premier League.
Definition: What is a corner kick? It occurs when the ball passes over the goal line and has last been touched by a defender. The goal line is one of the boundary lines on a football pitch that runs along the goal.
The corner kick is taken from the nearest corner area where the ball crosses the goal line. The kick is handled by a member of the attacking team (the team that did not touch the ball last).
Objective: The primary aim of a corner kick is to score a goal directly or to create a goal-scoring opportunity by passing the ball into the penalty area, where teammates can attempt to score.
Common belief: Corner kicks are seen as significant set-piece opportunities in football, as they allow the attacking team to deliver the ball into a crowded penalty area, increasing the chance of scoring a goal.
Corners do seem exciting. However, if you look at the graphic below, you will see no correlation between the number of corner kicks per game and scoring goals.
I have these broken out by home and away corner kicks to goals to see if there was also a home-field advantage. The numbers are essentially the same regardless of whether the team is home or away. As you can see, a team could have 15 corner kicks and not score any more goals than a team with zero corner kicks.
