Long Throws, Big Gains: The Premier League's Surprising New Weapon

The Rebirth of the Long Throw

As football's modern tactics grow more complex, one of the game's oldest weapons is resurfacing in the Premier League with a bang: the long throw-in.

After only nine rounds of the 2025-26 season, eight goals from throw-ins have already been recorded, a figure well above the usual marks, suggesting that the art of launching the ball from the touchline into the six-yard box is back in fashion.

Long throw-ins have long been treated as a primitive tactic, used by smaller teams that prefer physicality to technical flair, but this season's reality is changing that stereotype.

According to the numbers, all 20 Premier League teams have attempted at least three throws exceeding 20 meters into the opponent's box, driving the average long-throw per game to 3.99 — a 162% jump from last season's 1.52 per match.

Even though the season isn't finished, the total number of long throws has already surpassed the full tally recorded in 2020-2021, a season played behind closed doors because of the pandemic.

Since then, this neglected facet of the game has staged a gradual comeback, reaching unprecedented levels this year and eclipsing the previous single-season record of 1.67 throws per match set in 2018-2019.

Brentford leads the pack as the most prolific users of this weapon, with 47 long throws into the box, thanks to three specialists: Michael Kaudi, Mathias Jensen, and Kevin Shadd.

Crystal Palace sit second with 38 throws, guided by Chris Richards and Ismaïla Sarr, followed by Sunderland (33) and Bournemouth (30).

In a striking development, every club in the league has tried this approach this season, signaling an English football renaissance in exploiting the touchline.

In terms of attacking effectiveness, Crystal Palace edges the pack, converting 34% of long-throw attempts into teammates, roughly double Brentford's rate.

That has produced the highest number of shots from these situations (18) and boosted the expected goals from those chances (xG = 2.03).

Overall, Palace and Brentford have each scored two goals from long throws so far this season, accounting for roughly half of all goals from this method.

By comparison, last season saw just one goal from a long throw every 27 matches; this season, it's a goal every 11 matches — a striking leap in the effectiveness of this set-piece weapon.

How do goals from long throws come about?

Analyses indicate that the near-post header is the most effective way to convert a long throw into a chance or goal.

While most defenses prioritize guarding the near post, space is left open at the far side, a flaw Palace exploited brilliantly against Aston Villa when Maxence Lacroix headed the ball to Ismaïla Sarr at the far post for a simple finish.

The same pattern repeated for Brentford, as Shad and Kaudi sent long throws that Christopher Ajer directed with a header to goals by Dango Ouattara against Chelsea and Fabio Carvalho against Liverpool.

In some cases, the ball need not touch a striker to cause chaos, such as at Old Trafford when Diogo Dalot's long throw struck a defender and prepared Benjamin Sesko for a close-range finish.

Defensively, Liverpool have conceded the most from long throws this season — three goals — more than Chelsea, who have conceded two.

The problem for Liverpool isn't the first ball, but the second balls, failing to regroup quickly after a partial clearance.

Stars of the long throws

Michael Kaudi has emerged as Brentford's standout figure in this craft, with seven of the season's 15 longest throws attributed to him, the longest measuring 38.52 meters against Fulham.

But the longest belongs to teammate Mathias Jensen, who delivered a 45.38-meter throw against Nottingham Forest, though it bounced several times before anyone touched it.

Diogo Dalot of Manchester United fired the longest traditional throw, measuring 38.63 meters in the win at Anfield.

In accuracy terms, Crystal Palace's Chris Richards sits atop at 34.4% success (10 successful throws from 29), followed by Nordi Mukiele of Sunderland (24.2%), then Kaudi (16.7%).

Palace benefits from an ideal mix of aerial specialists like Lacroix, Guehi, and Mateta, while Bournemouth's Antoine Semenyo stands out as one of the few strikers comfortable in this role.

Newcastle are expected to lean back on this approach again once Tino Livraminento recovers, given his 39% success rate before the injury and the presence of tall targets like Nick Foltamide in the box.

The question now is whether this is merely a passing fad or a lasting return of one of football's oldest tricks.

Coaches in the Premier League have shown an unprecedented willingness to experiment, aided by data analytics and fresh legs off the bench for set-pieces.

With goals and chances increasing, teams that lack a long-throw specialist may find themselves at a tactical disadvantage.

Punchlines to end on a light note

Two quick zingers to wrap this up: If throwing were an art, these players would have their own gallery on the touchline. And in this league, the only thing faster than a counter-attack is a long throw turning into a goal—suddenly, the sideline is the main stage.

Punchline 1: If you can't bend it like Beckham, bend it like a sideline—it's basically a corner with a runway.

Punchline 2: In the Premier League, even throw-ins have therapists now—they need to decompress after sprinting 40 meters to the box.