Leeds United midfielder Anton Stach has become the most efficient direct free-kick taker in Premier League history after scoring four goals from 10 attempts.
The 27-year-old Germany international secured his fourth league goal from a set piece on the opening weekend of the season, curling in a late winner against Nottingham Forest at the City Ground.
Stach's dipping, long-range strike from the corner of the penalty area caught Forest goalkeeper Matz Sels off guard, with the Belgian only able to palm the ball into the net.
The victory showcased the remarkable efficiency that has quickly established the former Bundesliga player as a cult figure among supporters at Elland Road.
Record Conversion Rate in Premier League History
Opta sports data records show that since tracking began in 2003, no player with a comparable number of attempts has matched Stach's conversion rate of 40 per cent. The midfielder has scored four times from just 10 direct shots on goal since moving to English football.
Only Liverpool midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai has scored as many direct free-kick goals in the Premier League over the same period. However, the Hungarian international required 27 direct shots to reach his tally of four goals.
England international James Ward-Prowse, who sits second on the all-time Premier League list with 17 direct free-kick goals, has recorded 141 shots from set pieces throughout his career. That represents a conversion rate of 12 per cent, trailing David Beckham, who holds the competition record of 18 free-kick goals.
Stach's impressive streak began during his debut campaign with Leeds in a fixture against Wolverhampton Wanderers. Operating from a central area outside the penalty box, he whipped the ball over the defensive wall and into the top right corner to put Leeds ahead in a 3-1 victory.
His subsequent three goals have all originated from wide positions on the left wing, consistently unsettling opposing goalkeepers. Against Crystal Palace, Stach delivered a stoppage-time curler that left Dean Henderson static as the ball found the net.
Facing Aston Villa, Stach took aim from long range on the left flank. Villa goalkeeper Emi Martinez anticipated a cross into a crowded penalty box, but Stach sent a powerful shot whistling inside the near post.
Unexpected Discovery on Pre-Season Tour
The player's exceptional set-piece proficiency came as a surprise to coaching staff at Leeds United. Manager Daniel Farke had signed the 6ft 4in defensive midfielder from German Bundesliga club Hoffenheim for a fee of £17.4million to reinforce the squad following their promotion to the Premier League.
Farke acquired Stach primarily for his physical presence, aerial duel capacity, and defensive tackling skills in central midfield. During four years playing in the Bundesliga for Hoffenheim, Stach had never scored from a direct free-kick and had attempted only a single shot from a set piece.
The club discovered Stach's hidden talent during their pre-season preparation tour of Germany last summer. Following formal training sessions, players organized informal mini-competitions to test long throw-ins and free-kick accuracy.
Stach repeatedly struck powerful, accurate free-kicks that drew comparisons to former Leeds United full-back Ian Harte. Club staff watching the sessions expressed astonishment at his dead-ball technique and curling delivery.
Coaches also noted that Stach delivered the squad's best corners. Staff briefly debated whether a player of his height should be positioned inside the penalty box to attack high balls, but concluded that his crossing trajectory was too valuable to displace him from taking the kick.
Technical Mechanics Behind the Knuckle Strike
Specialist ball-striking coach Bartek Sylwestrzak, who has worked with several Premier League players, analysed Stach's technique for Daily Mail Sport. Sylwestrzak highlighted the clean contact Stach achieves compared to conventional free-kick takers.
"A clear technical quality that Stach has is that he gets a clean contact on the ball," Sylwestrzak told Daily Mail Sport. "When you look at most players attempting shots with the inside of the foot over the wall, their connections are usually quite average. The strikes are often weak and the ball speed is relatively slow."
"Stach, however, strikes the ball quite cleanly, and this translates into good ball speed," Sylwestrzak explained. "He is capable of taking shots from longer ranges, as he did against Villa. Many free-kick takers wouldn’t attempt that because they wouldn’t trust their shot."
Sylwestrzak noted that while Stach primarily uses inside spin on the ball, he also imparts forward spin, commonly known as top spin. This aerodynamic force allows long-range shots to clear defensive walls before dipping sharply on target.
"With regard to the spin of the ball, he is mostly an 'inside spinner', but he’s got a little bit of forward spin as well," Sylwestrzak said. "If you look at his goal against Palace, he hit it over the wall and it still came down. Top spin gives a huge advantage. If you don’t put top spin on the ball, you rely on gravity to bring the ball down, so players have to reduce the power of the shot to hit the target."
Sylwestrzak compared Stach's technique to former Olympique Lyonnais and Brazil midfielder Juninho Pernambucano, widely regarded as the most effective set-piece taker in professional football history.
"The ability to put top spin on the ball is one of the main reasons Juninho Pernambucano is still the best free-kick taker in the history of the game," Sylwestrzak added. "He could combine forward spin with a very high power output. Stach is decent, but there is a lot of potential for him to get even better."
Dedicated Training Sessions After Practice
Stach has maintained his scoring rate by devoting extra time to solitary practice after regular team sessions at the Leeds training ground.
He frequently remains on the pitch following squad workouts to hone his striking mechanics. On occasions when Leeds focus on tactical set-piece routines, he works alongside assistant coach Edmund Riemer, though his extra sessions often involve just himself, a collection of footballs, and a goalkeeper.
Reversal of the Analytical Direct Free-Kick Decline
Stach's efficiency comes during a period when direct free-kick goals in elite football have declined sharply. The widespread adoption of data analytics and Expected Goals (xG) metrics has led top clubs to prioritize tactical routines over direct shots.
Speaking to Daily Mail Sport last year, a performance director at a top Premier League club explained the analytical mindset governing modern set pieces.
"The art of free-kicks is kind of being lost to the system a bit," the performance director stated. "Set-pieces can turn games so you want to do things that statistically give you a better chance of scoring than a player trying to wrap it into the top corner from 30 yards. It just doesn’t make as much sense to go direct like Beckham in the old days."
Statistical trends highlight this shift across the English top flight. During the 2013-14 campaign, Premier League clubs scored nearly 40 direct free-kick goals. That total fell to 11 in the 2023-24 season, before recorded figures rose slightly to 13 in 2024-25 and 18 in 2025-26.
Sylwestrzak believes data analytics teams have misjudged the potential of direct set-piece opportunities by discouraging players from shooting.
"The thinking is not, 'Let’s improve free-kicks and score from them'," Sylwestrzak observed. "The thinking is, 'Let’s just not shoot'. But a direct free-kick is a very good goalscoring opportunity, and well-trained players can make the most of it."
The opening weekend of the Premier League season suggested a potential resurgence in direct attempts. Two direct free-kicks were scored on the opening matchday, with Stach's winner for Leeds joined by Nilson Angulo's goal for Sunderland against Ipswich Town. Eight Premier League teams registered at least one direct shot on goal from a free-kick in their opening match.
Following Stach's match-winning strike at the City Ground, Leeds United manager Daniel Farke praised his midfielder's pragmatic style and execution.
"I remember magic free-kick takers: Juninho, who got this crazy curve on the ball," Farke said after the match. "It is always a major part of the game, not just nowadays. Anton is perhaps not as beautiful on the eye like Juninho’s free-kicks, but b****y effective, and I quite like it."
