The season remains relatively young, so extrapolating data based upon just eight or nine games is generally not a good idea. With that in mind, I decided to take an initial look at how Celtic and Hearts have been progressing so far this season with corners.
Why only corners? They are by some distance the highest frequency set piece that result in shots, so sample size is less of an issue. For example, through eight league games, Celtic have exactly one shot from an indirect free kick, zero from direct, and one from a throw-in, versus 24 from corners. By comparison, Hearts have seven via indirect free kicks, two via direct, and zero from throw-ins.
Let us begin with xG for and conceded and the difference. We see the relative level deteriorated last season in attack with the level conceded also at the high end of the range from previous seasons, combined for a difference that was comparable to the 2020-2021 season. This season has slipped into a negative difference with the level of xG conceded more than triple the lowest rate conceded during the 30-game 2019-2020 season.