The Return of the Long Throw: Why is it Back in Fashion?

The Return of the Long Throw: Why is it Back in Fashion?

It’s a trend that has been snatched from the late noughties, and it's not low-rise jeans or tinted shades. The long throw is back in football, as this season has already advocated it in abundance.

What used to be tactical artillery soon faded out with the innovation of glamorous football, orchestrated by the likes of Pep Guardiola.

However, there once was a time where players, such as Rory Delap, offered the biggest threat to opposition, as his mammoth throw caused all kinds of chaos in Premier League penalty areas.

Brentford are the new masters of it. Manager Keith Andrews has already installed the nifty manoeuvre into his side and it has produced the goods so far, most recently after helping the Bees earn a point against Chelsea over the weekend.

The Bees are Bringing it Back

Brentford’s second home game of the season against Chelsea on Saturday was not short of action. If an 85th minute away winner wasn’t already enough, a 93rd minute Brentford equaliser made it a West London Derby to remember.

Fabio Carvalho steals a point for Brentford deep into stoppage-time! 🤯 pic.twitter.com/OgqsOFWntb

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) September 13, 2025

However, one thing that has stayed on the tip of everyone’s tongues following the 2-2 draw was the proactive long throw-in Brentford configured to find their late equaliser. Kevin Schade’s delivery from the touchline looped all the way into Chelsea’s six-yard box, to be flicked on by Jordan Henderson towards the lurking Fabio Carvalho at the back post.

And this wasn't the first menacing long throw-in Brentford had used to panic Chelsea in the match. Schade launched a similar rendition earlier in the game, where goalkeeper Robert Sanchez was required to tip the effort over the bar.

Whilst it’s neither glamorous nor orthodox, Brentford’s long throw strategy should not come as a surprise. Newcomer Keith Andrews spent all of last season as the Bees’ set-piece coach behind former boss Thomas Frank, where his entire responsibility was to devise such tactics.

Now in control of a weaker side on paper in Brentford, set-piece tricks frequently present the best opportunities to score, especially against a worldbeater like Chelsea.

It turns out that Brentford like a throw-in! 🤩 pic.twitter.com/Sak6hP5euO

— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) September 13, 2025

This method has flourished for Andrews so far because of the players he has at his disposal. All four of Schade, Michael Kayode, Mathias Jensen and Ethan Pinnock have already displayed their ominous throw-in techniques across the opening four games, and they have worked a charm.

With players such as Ajer, van den Berg and Collins to reach the end of the deliveries, Brentford would be foolish not to exploit their extraordinary tactic.

Not Just Brentford

According to Opta, 11 out of the 20 Premier League teams sent a long throw into their opposition’s penalty area in the opening weekend of the 2025/26 season. That tallies up to seven more teams than what last year’s opening weekend featured.

Whilst it is Brentford who have become the biggest advocates of it, the long throw has clearly grown in popularity throughout the English top-flight after a considerable hiatus. Even the stereotypical ‘stronger’ teams such as Arsenal, Liverpool and Spurs have been caught using it this season.

In fact, the latter of the three have engaged in the tactic more than most. As Thomas Frank left Brentford to join Tottenham Hotspur, he has evidently taken long throw-ins with him. Spurs utilise both Lucas Bergvall and Kevin Danso’s prowess on the touchline to orchestrate some of their attacks.

Adding to Opta’s statistics, it was recorded there was an average of only 0.89 long throw-ins per Premier League game in the 2020/21 season. That number then increased season on season, up until last year where it reached 1.52.

Long throws are increasingly common.

More goals are being scored from long throws.

How significant will throw-ins be in 2025-26? pic.twitter.com/A99ueyblgI

— Opta Analyst (@OptaAnalyst) August 21, 2025

Fast-forward to this term, the opening weekend saw an average of 3.2 long throw-ins per game. Of course, this number could emerge to be an anomaly considering it was only measured in one game-week, but it does follow the continuous trend.

Can we Expect the Long-Throw From England?

It seems England boss Thomas Tuchel may also be a strong promoter of long throw-ins. Earlier this month, he declared that the sideline weapon is back in fashion and that it might play a part in England’s World Cup journey.

The German has said that he at least wants his side to consider using the strategy if it reciprocates success at next summer’s tournament.

Tuchel’s right-hand man Anthony Barry previously underwent heavy research on Premier League throw-in techniques, as part of his university dissertation. Now seems like the perfect time to implement some of his findings into England’s setup, even in spite of the World Cup’s nine-month countdown.

The Three Lions have consistently featured both Reece James and Myles Lewis-Skelly on each flank throughout the run-in of World Cup Qualifiers, and both of these two full-backs have displayed many long throw-ins for their respective Premier League clubs.

With the likes of Dan Burn, John Stones and Trevor Chalobah all within the England setup, these throw-ins could be the recipe for success next summer.