If you’ve been struggling to get through competitive penalty shootouts online on FIFA 21, then help is at hand. A new video from pro player Harry Hesketh has offered some much needed advice. 

The obsessive FIFA player and self-titled “penalty king” offered some top-tips on taking and saving penalties in the game. 

Foremost among those tips, Hesketh points out that when you press shoot and begin your run up, the player’s head will look towards wherever you have aimed your penalty. Of course, when playing online this can show your opponents which direction you’re going to shoot.

As a result, Hesketh’s simple tip is to start with the aiming reticule in the middle, press shoot and only then pick a side to aim your shot. The player’s head position will remain locked centrally, not giving away your choice to the keeper. 

He also adds: “You’ve obviously got the chip-shot glitch, where if you put it in the top corner and the keeper dives the right way from standing, then the keeper dives under the ball for some reason. If you want to do that, be my guest, risk it.” 

The biggest tip was a simple one for goalkeepers, though, where he said: “The pattern is pretty simple. Basically, you just step one way and then dive the other. That’s it.

“Basically, if someone is going to shoot right, you step left and then dive right because the chance that they put it right in the corner, with a decent amount of power and green [on the timing bar] are quite slim, especially in penalty shootouts where you’ve not got a person with 90-odd pens taking your penalties.

“Then you are going to save it if they go right, but the key bit here is – you are also going to save it if they go in the middle! So, your chances of saving a penalty have just gone from 33% to 50%.” 

Hesketh has had great success playing the numbers with this technique. He’s got some big wins on the professional circuit and is already noticing some other pros copying his technique.