Wolves could be their own worst enemy, as a new stat has shown that the bottom four are ignoring the rise of a popular trend in the Premier League.
Each year there is a new buzzword in football. Last season it was set-pieces in general, and this year a new one has arrived.
However, Vitor Pereira does not seem to be keen on using it, and that could be a major mistake.
The data shows that for teams opting to try this tactic out, they are reaping the rewards, and with Wolves last in the Premier League, it could be time to join them.
Premier League’s bottom four do not utilise long throws much
Long throws are the new craze in the Premier League, and they are being used more this season than in any of the last five.
There has been a lot of success for sides who are opting to use long throws at a greater rate than the rest, and it paints a bad picture for the current bottom four before gameweek 10 kicks off.
| Season | Long throws into penalty area | Per match |
| 2020/21 | 340 | 0.89 |
| 2021/22 | 482 | 1.27 |
| 2022/23 | 548 | 1.44 |
| 2023/24 | 558 | 1.47 |
| 2024/25 | 578 | 1.52 |
| 2025/26 | 359 | 3.99 |
Wolves (13), Fulham (7), West Ham (4), and Nottingham Forest (3) are all in the bottom half for sides when it comes to using this set-piece tactic.
Additionally, the newly promoted sides, who are performing exceptionally well, are ranked in the top users for long throws.
Sunderland come in at 3rd place (33), Burnley rank in 6th (24), and Leeds in 10th (20).
The teams that are expected to compete for relegation alongside the current bottom four are all ahead in the league and also use almost double the number of long throws.
It is an interesting statistic, and perhaps Pereira needs to put more focus into using it as a weapon, as his future is at stake despite Pereira’s recent comments in the press.
It is working for their rivals, and with Jorgen Strand Larsen and Tolu Arokodare as options, they have the physical presence to facilitate dangerous knock-ons.
Wolves are the quickest to restart play from throw-ins
In contrast, Wolves do not seem to put any real importance on throw-ins in general. When they win one, they take them quicker than any other team in the Premier League.
Vitor Pereira’s side take just 12.9 seconds on average before putting the ball back into play.
The likelihood is that the Wanderers are hoping to catch teams out of position as they get back into their shape during the set-piece, but so far it has not been working.
They are sat last in the Premier League and have yet to win a game. Trying the new popular tactic must be worth a go, and they have nothing to lose from trying.
One issue for the Wanderers could be that they do not have anybody who stands out for the potential taking of a long throw.