There was quiet satisfaction on the Newcastle United bench last week. Not only did the second goal come from a corner kick practised on the eve of the game; Sandro Tonali doubled the hosts' lead against Brentford, who are, statistically, the best side at defending set-plays in the country.

Brentford manager Thomas Frank could not help but salute a 'well-worked routine'; Lewis Hall dummied to take the set-piece before Anthony Gordon floated the ball into the box, Joelinton blocked off Yoane Wissa and Tonali caught it sweetly on the volley. It was a goal that took Eddie Howe's team a step closer to a second Carabao Cup semi-final in three years.

"When they do come off, they're worth their weight in gold," the Newcastle boss said afterwards.

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Assistant Jason Tindall, who leads on corners and free-kicks, and set-piece analyst Kieran Taylor were among those understandably beaming in the team photograph taken in the dressing room after the game and such plays have never been more important. Statistically, more goals are being scored in the Premier League from set-pieces - the goals per 100 corners figure has shot up in recent years - and a once unfashionable part of the game is becoming anything but.

A mural of Arsenal set-play guru Nicolas Jover has even popped up near the Emirates while Gunners fans have genuinely broken into chants of 'Set-piece again ole, ole' in recent weeks. Corners and free-kicks have almost become part of Arsenal's DNA and no other side have scored more Premier League goals from corners (50) since Jover came in.

Newcastle's coaching team have long admired Arsenal's threat from set-plays and, in truth, the Magpies looked in need of some fresh inspiration just a couple of months ago. At that stage, no other team in the Premier League had taken more corners without scoring. You would not have known that Arsenal, Everton and Manchester City were the only sides who were more effective from set-pieces the previous season.

Newcastle had tightened up defensively - only five teams have let in fewer goals (four) from corners and free-kicks in 2024-25 - but there was no doubt that the black-and-whites were missing Kieran Trippier's deliveries at the other end of the field at the time. The Newcastle defender created the most chances from set-plays (76) in the Premier League a couple of seasons ago, which was the highest figure registered since Opta started collecting such data two decades previously, while Sven Botman and Callum Wilson, who have had spells out in the last year, played their part in the overall chain when the ball actually came into the box.

However, Newcastle have adapted and looked more like their old selves from dead balls of late and, interestingly, captain Bruno Guimaraes spoke earlier this month about 'working hard on set-pieces'. That work has certainly paid off.

Take the win against Leicester City. Tindall said 'we pride ourselves on our creativity' and half of Newcastle's goals in the black-and-whites' 4-0 win came from clever moves straight from the training ground.

The first was when Lewis Hall threw a hand up, signalling he was going to swing the ball into the box, only to play the corner short to Sandro Tonali. That was the cue for Anthony Gordon to run beyond Tonali and for Hall to move in the opposite direction, which drew Jamie Vardy away and created a huge space by the near post. Gordon took full advantage, pulling the ball back across, and the manner in which Dan Burn blocked Hamza Choudhury enabled Jacob Murphy to get a clear shot away to open the scoring.

Newcastle doubled their advantage from a free-kick when Gordon clipped the ball to the back post. Hall was able to ghost in undetected, after Joelinton blocked James Justin, and the England international headed the ball back across the box for Bruno to make it 2-0.

These were not isolated incidents. Newcastle equalised at the death against Liverpool from a free-kick after Bruno's delivery was turned in by Fabian Schar and even on an afternoon when Newcastle failed to have a shot on target, a slick free-kick routine opened the scoring at Crystal Palace after Marc Guehi put through his own net last month. Going back further, Anthony Gordon's corner was fired in by Alexander Isak to level things up at Nottingham Forest.

The result? Despite a slow start, only four Premier League sides have scored more goals from set-plays this season than Newcastle (six).

"Sometimes they work, sometimes they don't," Howe explained. "But they're important for us because when we have created chances from open play, we haven't always taken them so you're looking for a way and I really don't care where the goals come from.

"They need to come from somewhere and there needs to be a regular source. Our set-plays have been really good in recent weeks. Congratulations to everyone who does work on them. Ultimately, the players are the ones that have to do it and the staff would be the first people to acknowledge that."