Set-Pieces Are Once Again a Major Threat in the Premier League -Guardiola

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola says set-pieces have re-emerged as a powerful weapon in the Premier League, drawing parallels with the physical style once epitomized by Tony Pulis’ Stoke City.

Guardiola noted that many teams now rely heavily on long throws, corners, and aerial duels to disrupt opponents — a trend he described as increasingly influential in shaping matches.

“It’s true that people now treat every throw-in like a corner and fill the box with 10 players,” Guardiola said. “We struggled at Brentford, and when we watched Brentford against Liverpool, every throw from (Michael) Kayode went into the box — he was even named man of the match.”

Recent data supports Guardiola’s claim, showing that nearly 19% of Premier League goals this season have come from corners — the highest in years and around five percent above the norm.

“Set-pieces are a real threat again,” he continued. “I remember Burnley under Sean Dyche — they were exceptional with long balls and second balls. Dyche was one of the best at it, just like Sam Allardyce or Stoke City back in the day with their throw-ins. Now, more and more teams are adopting that approach, whereas before it was just Stoke.”

The Spaniard also reflected on how this aspect of English football has long been recognized abroad. “When I was at Barcelona and Bayern Munich, Arsène Wenger used to talk about the challenge of playing at Stoke City — and now, that kind of game happens much more often,” Guardiola added.