Blackburn centre back Sean McLoughlin is enjoying something of a shooting spree this season with 1.05 efforts per 90 this season. He’s taken ten shots across his last seven starts and has landed this bet in nine of those games and so is consistently finding himself on the end of Rovers’ set pieces. 

Despite attacking set plays being a key part in John Eustace’s great escape last season at Derby, the visitors are struggling to defend dead ball situations in this campaign with only three Championship sides conceding more expected goals from them. The Rams have given up eight shots to opposition centre backs in their last five games and so we can expect Blackburn to target this weakness.  

Lesley Ugochukwu has settled into life at Burnley well and has scored twice already this season. The all-action midfielder has been a regular threat in the attacking third, managing 1.03 shots per 90 with at least one in three of his last four appearances.

The key to this bet is that Ugochukwu faces a West Ham side who have conceded the second most shots in the Premier League at 14.5 per game. The Hammers are also a shambles when defending set pieces and given that both of Ugochukwu’s goals have come from such situations, he’ll be looking to add to his tally.

Korean midfielder Seung-Ho Paik has looked comfortable back at Championship level this season and looks to have added attacking productivity to his arsenal. He’s needed no invitation to pull the trigger, firing off 1.12 shots per 90 and has been especially active in recent weeks with ten shots across his last six starts.

Opponents Middlesbrough have endured a difficult couple of weeks and come into this game off the back of three games without a win. Last weekend they were comfortably dispatched by Watford 3-0 and having allowed opposition central midfielders to take eleven efforts at goal across their last five games, Paik could be afforded plenty of opportunities.

Dan Ballard continues to be one of the most consistent shooting defenders in the Premier League to the tune of 2.02 shots per 90. The big centre back is an imposing presence in the air and has profited from the renewed focus on set pieces in England’s top division, taking at least one shot in all but one of his appearances this season.

Despite their reputation for attacking set pieces, Arsenal can be vulnerable when defending restarts and last season only two Premier League sides conceded more goals from them. Such is the Gunners dominance of games in open play during this campaign that Sunderland are likely to be restricted to dead balls for their attacking chances and with Ballard the target for first contact from every long throw and corner, his price for a shot appeals.

A regular in this column last season, Marc Cucurella is once again being given plenty of attacking freedom from left back by Enzo Maresca. The Spaniard has taken 0.78 shots per 90 across all competitions this season and landed this bet in this fixture last season where he found the back of the net.

Wolves’ latest defeat spelt the end of Vitor Pereira’s time in charge and it’s easy see why with the Midlands club rooted to the bottom of the Premier League table without a win after ten games. The visitors have conceded 13.4 shots per game on the road and given that Chelsea scored four goals against them in the EFL Cup just two weeks ago, they will be looking to fill their boots once more.