From kick-and-run to marginal gains... this is how we could summarize the path taken by the long throw-in in the history of the Premier League. The set piece, long associated with the direct style of English football, perfectly embodied by Irishman Rory Delap at Stoke City in the 2000s, is now a weapon developed and used by expert positional coaches, echoing Mikel Arteta's Arsenal in the Champions League semi-finals. The American media outlet The Athletic reports that during the 2024-2025 season, 17% of throw-ins were delivered towards the opponent's penalty area. For comparison, this figure was only 8% during the 2020-2021 season. The number of long throw-ins has more than doubled, driven by clubs like Ipswich Town (52 this season), Nottingham Forest (also 52), and especially Brentford (92). "I'm a big believer in players on the edge of the box, in how we can maintain pressure in the second phase and for second balls," explained Thomas Franck, the Bees' Danish coach. This strategy is often linked to the presence in his squad of a good throw-in taker, with strong ball-headers capable of receiving the throws, and a desire to put pressure on the opponent. In contrast, the champions, Liverpool, have rarely used attacking long-throw-ins this season, with only five touches in the opposition's penalty area. Chelsea have taken one fewer, while the last-placed team, Newcastle, have only converted one.
Brief
Between the 2020-2021 and 2024-2025 seasons, the number of long throws (shown here by Newcastle United captain Kieran Trippier) doubled in the Premier League / ©Icon Sport