When watching a game of football, from Non league to Premier League alike, you might notice the ball go out of player behind either of the goals. If the ball was to go off a player who is attacking, then it would be deemed a ‘goal kick’; the defending team would take an uncontested kick from their goalkeeper.

However, if the ball was to go out of play and touch a defending player last then it would be ruled as a corner. The corner is the four small quarter-circle shapes in all four corners of the field. If the ball goes out of play behind the goal(s), then either a corner or a goal kick is given.

With a corner, an attacking player is given the chance to take a free pass or cross. This can either be put into the opposition box directly, or played shortly to a teammate. However, you can also shoot from a corner kick – should the ball go in the net directly, it will count as a goal. However, if you somehow managed to score an own goal from your own corner, then it would be awarded as a corner kick to the opposition team instead.

The ball must be taken from the corner area, and it must be stationary – it must also be kicked from a player in the attacking team. However, it does not have to leave the corner area; it must make a full rotation. So, you could simply roll the ball in a full rotation and allow a teammate to take the ball instead.

However, the kicker is unable to touch the ball again after initial contact until a teammate or opposition player then touches the ball. Once the ball is in play, all normal rules return to play apart from one thing: you cannot be offside from a corner on the initial play. Once the ball is touched by another player, though, offside rules return to normality.

Having arrived in England from Barcelona, a huge amount was expected of Oriol Romeu. And despite never really making a meaningful impression at Chelsea, the Spaniard has slowly but surely grown into a key performer for Southampton over the years. Though high un-Spanish in the way he plays, Romeu has long offered a new kind of play that simply is not seen very common in the La Liga game.

For England, though? He has been a perfect addition to a league that needs players who can make up the miles.

What makes Oriol Romeu worth watching?

At 29, Romeu has developed into a mature and intelligent midfielder who can take control of the game with relative ease. He’s become well rated for his accurate passing, often completing in excess of 80% of his passes. On top of that, his crisp passing is improved with the smart use of the ball – he often moves the ball forward quickly, helping to keep pace in the Saints attack.

On top of that, he often wins the ball in the air with ease and tends to be a strong competitor at set plays defensively, offering another useful part to the midfield.

Things to improve for Oriol Romeu

There are many things that could be improved upon for Romeu, mainly his offensive contribution. Though a strong passer of the ball and good at keeping possession progressive enough, he takes less than one shot per game and tends to struggle with making goals or creating attacks.

He also has a habit of giving away dangerous fouls. Though this is likely part of the agreement given how well he plays defensively, it is something that could be improved – and probably plays a role in why Romeu has never moved on beyond the South Coast outfit since he first started to impress.

As one of the few kids to break through from the Burnley academy, Dwight McNeil brings interest from all over the Premier League. The 21-year-old is often one of the main shows to watch for Burnley fans, providing a zip from the wide areas that they tend to lack without him.

Despite playing in a side that might lack a touch of invention, McNeil is the kind of player who gets ‘bums off seats’, as they say. A flighty winger with good delivery and shooting – the future looks bright for the academy prospect.

What makes Dwight McNeil worth watching?

As a regular in the Burnley team, a contribution of just five goals can sound poor but it shows the limits Burnley have offensively. When Burnley do attack on a more consistent basis, McNeil tends to come to life. At his best when Burnley break quickly, too, he offers an invention in the wide areas that makes him a big change from the standard Burnley wide player.

Most commonly playing off the left, he offers a solid outlet for keeping the ball, for moving forward, and for crossing from deep for the eager Burnley strikers.

Things to improve for Dwight McNeil

Simple – consistency. His finishing is poor despite being a good long range shooter, and he can be a bit too ambitious with the ball at times. While that might work in a more attacking side, in Burnley’s system he tends to make poor choices in trying to be too aggressive with his passing, shooting, or dribbling.

His crossing is his main asset, and something he could look to use on a more regular basis to help get Burley up the pitch easier. He’s a quality striker of the ball; a touch more thought before playing that killer ball, though, could improve his game massively.

As one of a series of Belgians to play in the Premier League today, Leandro Trossard has gained the heart of the Brighton support. The 26-year-old midfielder tends to offer Brighton one of their most exciting and ambitious attacking talents.

Scoring four goals whilst setting five up in a Brighton side that really struggles for goals is a big contribution. Having played close to 2,000 minutes in the league so far, too, it is fair to say that Trossard is a regular starter for Brighton now.

What makes Leandro Trossard worth watching?

Capable of playing across the left-hand side, right-hand side, and through the middle, Trossard is a modern attacker in the best way. He gets forward on and off the ball, moves around well, switches positions, and can be a threat with both feet from distance and up-close.

He tends to have a great shot in particular and is capable of winding up powerful shots without much backlift. His stocky frame also allows him to hold off opponents before playing ambitious passes in behind and over the top of the opposition.

An exciting and aggressive talent, Trossard offers a spark to quite a workmanlike Brighton team.

Things to improve for Leandro Trossard

The main thing that Trossard needs to work on is his durability. Often, it only takes a contested aerial attack or a lost tackle to see Trossard vanish from the play for the next few moments. He has to become more inclined to stay involved, even if things are not happening for him in general.

His aerial ability is limited given his stature, but offensively he could also choose to be a touch less wasteful with passes in behind. Given his teammates tend to play nice attacking football, Trossard could also benefit from linking up with teammates more as opposed to always trying to go it alone.