The long throw is back in vogue, it seems.
It was a tactical weapon Rory Delap used to shake up the Premier League after Stoke’s arrival in 2008 – causing havoc by launching the ball into the box.
And now it is happening more and more in the top flight, with Brentford proving to be the masters of it.
Against Chelsea on Saturday, Fabio Carvalho scored a late goal following a Kevin Schade long throw to secure a 2-2 draw.
That was the last of a glut of long throws during the game from first Michael Kayode and then Schade.
Earlier on, Chelsea keeper Robert Sanchez had tipped a Schade long throw over the bar even though nobody had appeared to touch it on the way through.
It is the seventh goal that the Bees have scored from long throws since the start of last season, five more than other Premier League team.
It might not be pretty, but it is effective.
“I felt there’s a little bit of snobbery in the game around scenarios like that,” said Brentford boss Keith Andrews.
“If the big boys do it, then it seems to be accepted.”
Asked how to avoid conceding goals from long throws, Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca said: “First of all, try not to concede the throw-in.
“They have Kayode, Jensen, Schade and even Pinnock who are strong on throw-ins.”
BBC Match of the Day pundit Ashley Williams, the former Wales captain, said: “It’s weirdly difficult [to defend long throws].
“The day before a game you practise defending corners and free-kicks but not long throws.
“Because it’s coming in from a different angle, it creates chaos. It’s something teams should work on more.”
Former Republic of Ireland goalkeeper Shay Given added: “It’s refreshing. Sometimes a bit of old school ‘throw it into the mixer’ can cause a bit of carnage.”
