Floated Crosses Part Two: Everton’s innovative approach unveiled – set-piece analysis

In our previous analysis, we discussed floated crosses, highlighting their main features, which include isolating the standout player in a 1-v-1 situation against the marker away from the zonal defenders and the orientation problems they cause. We have also explained their effectiveness in leagues not of the highest level and how any team with a strong and distinctive jumper can threaten the opponents goal and score many goals.

We have also answered the question that may come to everyones mind: why do we no longer see them at the same rate at the high level? We have explained several defensive methods employed by elite teams to counter them, which have reduced their usage somewhat.

However, Everton continue to use a specific type of floated crosses with remarkable results even against elite teams, which seem to have not found a radical solution to defend against this type. It is noteworthy that Everton leads the Premier League in expected goals (XG) from set-pieces with 16.18 at the time of writing and is the second-highest scoring team from set-pieces in the Premier League with 15 goals, following Arsenal, who scored 18 goals.

Everton also rank second in most goals scored from corner kicks in the Premier League with nine goals, tied with Bournemouth and Luton Town, behind Fulham, Liverpool, and Arsenal, who scored 10 goals each. Its worth mentioning that Everton has earned fewer corner kicks than all of them, standing at 160 corner kicks in 14th place among the teams with the most corner kicks gained. Meanwhile, Arsenal is third with 234 corner kicks, and the closest team to them is Luton Town, which is in 9th place with 182 corner kicks at the time of writing.

In this tactical analysis, we will explain Evertons tactics in using floated crosses in a way that remains effective. We will narrate Evertons story. Beginning the tale on February 4, 2023, just days after Sean Dyche took charge of Everton when they secured a victory over Arsenal with a solitary goal from a corner kick. This moment might be etched in the memories of Arsenals fans due to the fierce competition for the league title.

The previous season

As we have mentioned in the previous part, the counter-ideas are centred around preventing the attacker from running freely before jumping, with many explained methods, to stop any probable dynamic mismatch until zonal defenders deal with the cross and regarding nods, the zonal defenders should form a narrow organised line applying the off-side trap being ready if the opponent targets a far area empty from zonal defenders to get the first touch, but what will happen if there are no zonal defenders at the targeted area while being also close for attackers to threaten the goal directly or indirectly?!

This area is the area after the far post, highlighted below, which is empty from zonal defenders while nods come from near position to the goal and in a side way, avoiding the offside. We all know that there is no zonal defender there, especially when some teams ask the last zonal defender to step more inside, not in front of the far post, giving priority to the goalmouth and asking the goalkeeper to claim any cross going there through the six-yard, but floated crosses are too high to be claimed while also asking attackers to block the goalkeeper and the last zonal defender who is forced to step back to the targeted area. Some defending teams also assign the best headers at the near post and the middle, leaving the far post to the weakest player of the zonal line, aiming to stop the cross before reaching him by the goalkeeper or the zonal players before him. Lets explain in detail and begin the journey!

In that match against Arsenal the previous season, we see below that Arsenal used four yellow zonal defenders. In contrast, Everton target James Tarkowski, whose marker was Martin Ødegaard. This makes sense because we have said that his role as a marker is tracking the marker only without caring about the ball until a zonal defender comes. Still, there isnt any zonal defender there!

In the photo below, the ball is so high in its way through the air, taking a long time while Ødegaard reaches the six-yard, and still, no one comes, and he cant match Tarkowski. At the same time, a player blocks the goalkeeper while another attacker tries to block William Saliba, the last zonal defender, who can escape but needs to step back many steps while focusing on the high ball, which is too difficult, especially when the floated cross lands in a far point.

Tarkowski can easily get the ball overcoming Ødeg