For the first time in over a decade, two players have each scored at least three direct free-kick goals in a single Premier League season.
During the 2025/26 campaign, Dominik Szoboszlai of Liverpool and Anton Stach of Leeds United have both reached that milestone — and they have done so before the league has even completed 27 rounds.
It marks the first time since the 2014/15 season that two players have achieved this feat in the same campaign.
A Rare Premier League Occurrence
Direct free-kick goals have become increasingly rare in modern football. With advanced defensive setups, improved goalkeeping standards, and detailed opposition analysis, scoring consistently from set-pieces is far from easy.
Yet Szoboszlai and Stach have revived the art.
Szoboszlai’s Precision for Liverpool
Szoboszlai has scored four league goals this season, with three of them coming directly from free-kicks. The Hungarian midfielder has added a new dimension to Liverpool’s attack, combining creativity, ball progression, and dead-ball excellence.
His ability to generate power and curl from distance has made him one of the most dangerous set-piece takers in England this season.
Stach’s Perfect Set-Piece Record
Even more remarkable is Anton Stach’s efficiency. The German midfielder has scored all three of his league goals this season directly from free-kicks.
His third came in the 27th round against Aston Villa on February 21, confirming his status as one of the Premier League’s most unexpected dead-ball specialists this campaign.
The First Since Eriksen and Puncheon
The last time two players managed at least three direct free-kick goals in the same season was in 2014/15.
That year, Christian Eriksen of Tottenham Hotspur and Jason Puncheon of Crystal Palace both hit three direct free-kicks.
More than ten years later, Szoboszlai and Stach have finally matched that benchmark — highlighting just how rare this achievement truly is.
