Manchester United must find a way to continue scoring from set-pieces after the departure of Casemiro, who was their biggest aerial threat. The Brazilian scored nine Premier League goals last season, eight of which were headers, and his exit leaves a significant void.
Casemiro's Aerial Dominance
Casemiro's headed goals were a key asset for United. Among players with at least 10 Premier League goals for the club, only Nemanja Vidic has a higher percentage of goals scored from headers. By the spring of last season, the 34-year-old had scored more headers than any other player in Europe's top five leagues.
Despite being 6ft 1in, Casemiro's intelligent movement in the box made him a constant threat. His former teammate Harry Maguire praised him, saying: "I thought I was good at attacking in the box until I met him." Maguire made the comment after Casemiro's opener in the 2-1 win against Brentford, which was his eighth headed goal of the campaign.
Filling the Void
United's other players did not contribute significantly from headers last season. No squad member scored more than one headed goal in the Premier League, with Amad, Bryan Mbeumo, Benjamin Sesko, Harry Maguire, Matthijs de Ligt and Patrick Dorgu each scoring one.
The club will rely on taller players like Sesko, Maguire and De Ligt to step up. However, Sesko has missed every pre-season fixture and may lack match fitness, while De Ligt is recovering from back surgery. Maguire, who scored a headed goal against AC Milan on Saturday, is expected to carry much of the responsibility.
Other Candidates
Leny Yoro could also contribute, having been denied a headed goal against Fulham last season when it was ruled an own-goal. With Casemiro's threat gone, United will need these players to fill the gap from set-pieces.
