Tactical trends: More goals from throw-ins and fewer formations

Adrian Clarke examines some of the tactical changes and developments that have caught his eye so far this season. 

More goals from throw-ins

Throw-ins are very rarely the direct source of goals in the Premier League, leading to less than one per cent of all strikes across each of the previous five seasons.  

But in 2024/25, the share has shot up to 2.5 per cent, with five goals scored from throws.

That is already more than the total achieved in four separate campaigns over the last decade, with 2014/15, 2016/17, 2017/18 and 2020/21 each having fewer than five. 

Goals from throw-ins per season

The only classic long-throw routine to breach the opposition so far has come from Brentford at home to Southampton, when Yoane Wissa scored from a perfect near-post flick.

Wissa's goal v Southampton

Throw-ins have otherwise led to goals when they have been taken quickly, catching the opponents off guard.

One that stands out was when Dan Burn put his fellow Newcastle United defender Lloyd Kelly in the clear with an instant restart against Tottenham Hotspur. Kelly went on to cut the ball back for Harvey Barnes to score.

Vladimir Coufal’s sharp thinking also earned West Ham United a late equaliser away to Fulham. As you can see below, he threw the ball beyond opposition left-back Antonee Robinson to find Jarrod Bowen, who crossed for Danny Ings to convert. 

With marginal adjustments sometimes bringing significant gains, is greater attention being paid to the art of scoring from a throw-in? Perhaps so.

The dominant formation

Premier League managers have been less diverse than usual in their formation choices, with 4-2-3-1 being very much in vogue this season.

That shape has already been used at least once by 17 of the 20 top-flight head coaches, with 11 of them regarding it as their first choice. It has been used 57.1 per cent of the time, up from 38.9 per cent last season.

The second most-popular formation is still 4-3-3 but its usage share has dropped by over seven per cent, from 22.6 per cent to 15 per cent.

Number of times a formation has been used

Coaches are also continuing to turn their backs on a three-man defence.

Seven managers have used a trio of central defenders at least once this season, but Crystal Palace's Oliver Glasner is the only one to commit to it on a regular basis.

Across the last four years, there has been a sharp decline in the number of teams setting up in that way, to the extent that a back three has only been used 19 times this season, or 13.57 per cent of the time, while a back four is used in the other 86.4 per cent of cases.

Number of times each system has been used

Perhaps surprisingly, Pep Guardiola and Thomas Frank are the managers who have changed shape most often this season, despite having very clear tactical identities.  

The Brentford boss has not used the same formation more than twice, and both men have tried four different systems in seven matches.  

Backing off the press 

The popularity of 4-2-3-1 is helping teams block off passing lanes into central midfield more effectively.  

Unai Emery, Arne Slot, Mikel Arteta and Enzo Maresca are just a few of the managers who like their teams to morph into a 4-4-2 or 4-2-4 out of possession.  

It is proving popular to have two players in position to screen passes that are aimed into the heart of midfield, and understandably this appears to be impacting the number of touches enjoyed by Premier League midfielders in 2024/25. 

Only five midfielders who have started more than half of their teams' matches so far have averaged 80 or more touches per 90 minutes, compared with 12 who did so last season.  

Midfielders' touches per 90 minutes *

*Midfielders who have started more than half of matches

This desire to stop teams from moving the ball forward between the thirds means there has been a reticence among many coaches to press with numbers in advanced areas.  

While clubs like Tottenham Hotspur, Brighton & Hove Albion, AFC Bournemouth and Manchester City display great hostility high up the pitch, many coaches are preferring to settle into a mid-block, picking off turnovers a little deeper.  

The numbers below may not show a dramatic difference, but over the course of a full season this dip in pressing will make a difference to the type of football we see.  

Pressing and turnovers 2023/24 v 2024/25

Arsenal and Chelsea have certainly been less aggressive in their pressing.  

In terms of "pressed sequences" (the ability to limit opponents to three or fewer passes inside their own half) and "progress against" (the distance opponents move the ball up field against you) both clubs have experienced a noticeable shift.  

The absence of Martin Odegaard, and a testing fixture list, are contributing factors for Arsenal's pressing statistics, but their slightly more restrained approach is worth keeping an eye on moving forward.

Arsenal pressing statistics per 90 mins

Under Maresca, Chelsea have been less hostile out of possession than they were when Mauricio Pochettino was in charge. 

Chelsea pressing statistics per 90 mins

With the technical level of players at all 20 clubs continuing to rise, we are potentially seeing a more cautious attitude from Premier League managers.  

The fear of opponents slicing through the press, coupled with the increased use of two rather than three midfielders, seems to be forcing many coaches to retreat, with a view to crowding the heart of pitch.

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