Reminiscent of Tony Pulis and Rory Delap, top-flight clubs are leaning towards long throws more in 2025/26, making for interesting opportunities.
| Throw-in betting opportunities | Odds |
|---|---|
| Marc Guehi to score or assist - Palace vs Bournemouth | 6.50 |
| Igor Thiago to score or assist - Brentford vs West Ham | 2.30 |
Odds courtesy of Betway. Correct at time of publishing and subject to change.
Long throws are back in the Premier League
According to Opta, there have already been 263 throw-ins into Premier League penalty areas this season. That is 45% of the total for the entire 2024/25 season. In total, 12 teams have an average of at least one more long throw into the box per match compared to the previous campaign.
Last season, 20 Premier League goals (1.8%) came from throw-ins. That’s more than double the total from the previous four seasons combined. In 2020/21, there were just three (0.3%), and that number has been increasing each year since then. So, it’s no surprise to see that trend continuing.
Brentford top the list, as they have an average of 4.86 throw-ins into the box per game. This is probably no surprise, given their manager’s fame as a set-piece coach. Meanwhile, Crystal Palace (3.71) and Bournemouth (3.57) aren’t far behind, with all three keen to cause chaos in the penalty area.
Overall, long throws are up from 1.5 last season to 4.1 now, and long throw xG has reached around 0.11 per match. Meanwhile, set piece xG has risen from 0.47 to 0.49 per match overall in the PL from last season. That figure seems set to increase.
Therefore, their tall players with strong aerial duel records are worth considering for goals, as well as assists through flick-ons. Interestingly, WhoScored reports that there have been no direct assists from throw-ins so far. It’s really about launching the ball into the danger zone and seeing what happens.
The long-throw leaderboard
Two teams that are making the most use of long throws will face off this weekend. Palace vs Bournemouth could be a fascinating affair for many reasons, and there could be plenty of action in both boxes.
Four of Palace’s nine goals this season have come from set pieces, with two being headers. Bournemouth haven’t had as much success in that area, but they’re still committed to the long-throw approach.
It’s worth noting that the Eagles’ players with the best aerial duel success are Jefferson Lerma (71.4%), Marc Guehi (67.9%), and Maxence Lacroix (64.5%). They could all be worth backing for goals and/or assists going forward, with flick-ons from the throw proving crucial.
Elsewhere, Brentford will face West Ham United, which is interesting for two reasons. As mentioned, the Bees are using long throws more than other teams. This weekend, they face a team with the worst set-piece defensive record in the division.
The Hammers have conceded eight goals that way so far. That’s double that of anyone else, which is something Keith Andrews has likely. Sepp van den Berg is one of the tallest players in the Brentford side, and has a 63.9% aerial duel success rate, so he should be watched closely. However, their most dangerous player is Igor Thiago.
The Brazilian is a tall player as well, but is a prolific scorer who has already netted four times this season. He’ll be keen to pounce on any loose ball from long throws that land in his area.