Forget tiki-taka. It’s chuck-it-in and scrap for seconds.For the past decade, everyone wanted to be Guardiola — pass, press, repeat. But early signs this season? That era’s cooling off.We’re seeing fewer passes, quicker progression, and a sudden obsession with getting it in the mixer.
Yep we are back and the long throw has been resurrected. And not in a “Rory Delap towel-on-the-ball” kind of way (well, maybe a little). Here’s a reminder for anyone who isn’t in the know…
Early 2025/26 data shows the league is trending more direct: fewer passes per game, more long balls, more goal-kicks played long, and crucially more long throws. Opta analysis has long throws at roughly double recent norms, with set-piece goals up as a share of total goals. Goal-kicks are going long again. Teams are launching it, loving it, and living off chaos.
The Premier League is starting to look less like a chess match and more like a bar fight in the penalty box and we’re absolutely here for it.
The Big Man Up Top: Not Dead, Just Reloaded
Remember when every club wanted a five-foot-something striker who could dribble through a keyhole? The Aguero generation.
Now? It’s the Return of the Big Lads.You clocked it: this summer’s spend skewed tall. The point isn’t lumping it; it’s adding aerial threat without sacrificing tech, think Isak/Haaland profiles who can pin, win, and still combine.
Of the top five most expensive Premier League signings this summer, four are 6’3” or taller.
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Benjamin Sesko (6’5″) – United’s new skyscraper.
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Alexander Isak (6’4″) – Liverpool’s smooth operator.
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Nick Woltemade (6’6″) – Newcastle’s Big Bastard in a land of the giants.
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Hugo Ekitike (6’3″) – the “small” one on this list…madness
We’ve gone from false nines to real problems. But don’t call it hoofball. This isn’t Pulis-ball 2.0. These lads can actually play. They’re technical, mobile, and lethal when that ball gets tossed into the danger zone. Haaland was the prototype a monster who presses, runs, and still bags 30. Everyone else just copied the brief.
Why Everyone’s Going Long
Long balls and throws are up.
More goal-kicks ending in the opposition half, more direct play, more “stick it on the big lad’s head.” Passing is at a 15-year low. Teams are cutting out the faffing around at the back.
Set-piece goals are booming.
A quarter of all goals this season have come from corners, free-kicks, or throw-ins.More shots and better chance quality from throw-in situations than in recent seasons.
Long throws have exploded.
From 1.5 per game last season to 3.4 this year — a 128% increase. Teams mirror corner routines—pack the six-yard, win first contact, attack the far-post run. Goalkeepers are crowded, counters are neutered, and second balls are king
Even the big clubs are buying in. Arsenal slung 11 long throws in their Champions League semi-final last year.
Brentford have made it an art form. Palace are scoring off them. Bournemouth, Newcastle, even Spurs — they’re all at it.
This isn’t about style. It’s about territory, pressure, and chaos.
The Throw-In Meta: Organised Mayhem
Modern long throws aren’t about launching grenades; they’re engineered chaos.
Teams now rehearse them like corners:
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Crowd the six-yard box.
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Win the first contact.
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Murder them on the second ball.
Defenders are pinned. Goalkeepers can’t come out. The far-post runner is the new poacher.
Brentford equalised against Chelsea from one. Palace beat Liverpool off one. Sunderland nearly embarrassed Villa. Everyone’s copying the trick.
The Delap era was one man’s party trick. The 2025/26 version? It’s a league-wide movement.
Players to Watch: The Long Throw Merchants
| Player | Club | Why You Care |
|---|---|---|
| Benjamin Sesko | Man United | Built like a high-rise, eats crosses for breakfast. |
| Alexander Isak | Liverpool | The new hybrid striker: aerial and technical. |
| Mateta & Lacroix | Crystal Palace | Chaos combo — one throws bodies, one attacks spaces. |
| Kevin Schade | Brentford | Late-runner gold from set-pieces and throw-ins. |
| Jacob Murphy | Newcastle | Far-post sniper in the new chaos system. |
| Mukiele | Sunderland | Long throw weapon — literally changes field position. |
| Joelinton | Newcastle | Absolute magnet for first contacts and second balls. |
| Fabio Carvalho | Brentford | Poacher’s instinct for rebounds and flick-ons. |
Fantasy Football: How You Cash In
Draft the Trees
The big lads are back in business.
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Centre-backs who attack headers = gold.
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Target men like Isak, Sesko, Woltemade? Built for bonus points.
Target the Throw-In Merchants
Early adopters of the new religion:
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Brentford
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Crystal Palace
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Bournemouth
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Newcastle
- Sunderland
Exploit the Second Ball
Not everyone needs to win the header. Some lads just need to lurk.
Think midfielders and wide forwards who mop up rebounds and scrappy chances.
Pick GKs Who Love a Scrap
Goalkeepers who can actually handle pressure, claim crosses, and survive the chaos are undervalued right now. Bonus points galore.
StatrDraft Scoring = Built for This
Here’s the fun bit: our scoring system doesn’t just care about goals.
We track tackles, aerials, clearances, key passes — the lot.
That means long-throw chaos = fantasy gold.Your CB who wins five headers? He’s a machine.
Your winger who nicks the rebound? Instant points.Crash-and-finish wingers who sniff rebounds at the far post.
Your keeper who punches clear three times? Quietly farming points.
Our scoring counts tackles, aerials, clearances, duels, key passes — everything that makes long throws worth watching.
That means when Brentford pinball one into the box and your centre-half clears three headers and blocks a shot, you’re banking points.
Check out more on Statrdraft.com
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