Premier League tactics: 5 trends shaping this season

Last Updated on 2 December 2025

The Premier League has always evolved faster than any other league in the world and this season is no exception. While the goals and drama grab the headlines, the real story is unfolding in the tactical battles taking place on touchlines across England.

The 2025 season has already established clear patterns: some born from innovation, others from necessity in the face of injuries, fixture congestion, and relentless pressing demands.

Here are five tactics currently shaping Premier League trends this season and why they matter.

5 – Goalkeepers using “cramps” for tactical pauses

One of the most noticeable behavioural shifts this season has been the rise in goalkeepers going down with cramps or “knocks” to halt play.

Unlike outfield players, who must leave the pitch if treated, a goalkeeper going down immediately stops the game without forcing substitution risk. It’s a sly way of making the most of a stoppage. In fact, it’s contributing to the 45.4% Premier League games lost to stoppages, as per NY Times.

Managers are increasingly using this as a mid-game tactical reset: slowing momentum, issuing instructions, reshaping defensive structure, or killing opposition pressure.

It’s the modern equivalent of an unofficial timeout. While controversial, it reflects how valuable tactical control has become. In a league decided by razor-thin margins, even a 40-second pause is now being weaponised.

4 – Kick-offs being put straight out of play

Perhaps the strangest trend of all: teams intentionally kicking the ball straight out of play from kick-off to force a throw-in deep in the opposition half.

It’s happened more than three times already this season, which is more than the previous five seasons combined!

The inspiration appears to come from PSG’s tactical experiments last year. Analysts judged that conceding a throw in advanced territory was statistically more dangerous than attempting to retain early possession.

3 – Outfielders taking goalkicks

One of the strangest developments of the new season is centre-backs taking goal-kicks and launching them long. This happened eight times in the first three matchweeks only, half as many as in the entire previous season.

Virgil van Dijk alone accounts for half of those instances. One reason could be the injury scare to Alisson Becker, who might be the most injury-prone goalkeeper in the league.

But this tactic also appears designed to exploiting pressing triggers: rather than moving the goalkeeper into position and giving the opposition time to reset their press, a defender immediately launches the ball long.

The aim is to surprise structured pressing traps and turn restarts into rapid territorial gains.

2 – Goalkeepers going long

For nearly a decade, goalkeepers have been trained as deep-lying playmakers. That trend is now softening.

The sale of Ederson and City’s move for Donnarumma symbolises a broader shift. Goalkeepers are once again being encouraged to bypass the press rather than invite it.

After years of decline, the percentage of long goalkeeper passes has jumped sharply this season.

More tellingly, goal-kicks reaching the opposition half have risen dramatically after eight straight seasons of decline.

The reason is simple, pressing is now so advanced and aggressive that playing short under pressure has become a greater risk than risk itself. Direct football is becoming the safe option again.

1 – Long throws are back

Long throw-ins have returned as a legitimate attacking weapon.

After just four teams used them regularly on the opening weekend last season, 11 clubs launched long throws into the box in Matchweek 1 this year. That trend has only accelerated.

Keith Andrews’ Brentford are using this tactic as their main scoring weapon. So are Arsenal, and many other clubs. Clubs are clearly investing more time in throw-in routines, turning what was once a basic restart into a calculated set-piece weapon.