The 2025/26 Premier League season is now well underway, with enough games having been played to gain an early impression of what teams can expect for the rest of the campaign. Fans of the newly promoted sides, for example, will be optimistic based on their team's beginnings, whilst supporters of clubs such as Wolves and West Ham United may be worried about the long-standing Premier League status of their teams.
Liverpool look set to have a battle with Arsenal as they aim to recapture their status as league champions, whilst Erling Haaland's electric form has ensured that Manchester City are also in contention for silverware. Much has been said, this season, about the standard of play in the Premier League, with there seemingly being a high focus on athleticism and dead ball scenarios, perhaps more so than in recent years.
Ruben Amorim spoke out in response to Arne Slot's comments about utlising long passes forward following Manchester United's incredible win at Anfield. With that in mind, though, just which teams, according to StatMuse, have played the most long ball passes so far this season?
As of the time this article was written, Leeds United and West Ham United have played nine games. All other Premier League teams have played eight.
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True to their pass-oriented style of play, a trademark of manager Pep Guardiola, Manchester City have attempted the fewest long balls in the Premier League so far this season. There are almost 40 passes between them and 19th-placed Aston Villa, who have attempted 361 long balls forward in their opening eight games of the Premier League campaign.
Slightly ahead of Villa are fellow Midlands club Nottingham Forest, who will hope that new manager Sean Dyche can lead a resurgence in form. There is minimal difference between Forest and Arsenal, who are ahead of them by three long balls in 17th place on the table. Liverpool and Brentford round out the bottom quarter of the table, having attempted 382 and 391 long passes respectively, the latter doing so under the guidance of Keith Andrews, an internal hire to replace the long-serving Thomas Frank.
Ahead of the Bees by just one pass are Brighton and Hove Albion, whilst Tottenham Hotspur, who place 13th in the table, are the eighth and final team to have completed less than 400 long balls forward. With 410 are Fulham, who sit about their North London counterparts. The Cottagers, however, like Newcastle United who sit just in front of the club, narrowly miss out on the top 10.
Most Long Balls Attempted in the 2025/26 Premier League - 11th-20th
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10th-1st
With 417 attempted long balls forward, Chelsea are the first team to rank within the top 10, the club having already won a Conference League and Club World Cup during Enzo Maresca's time as manager. Sunderland, who have enjoyed the brightest start of all promoted clubs and taken the league by storm, sit ahead of the Blues by nine passes.
Oliver Glasner has turned Crystal Palace into one of the hardest teams to beat in the Premier League, with the Eagles having attempted 10 fewer long passes than both Burnley and Everton, who have both shown themselves to be tough teams to break down for opponents.
Bournemouth, who play a highly energetic and exciting brand of football under Andoni Iraola, have tried to play 451 long passes within what has been their best-ever start to a Premier League campaign. Leeds have attempted the most of any promoted side, though their 458 long passes is eight fewer than West Ham's current tally. Despite replacing Graham Potter with Nuno Espirito Santo, the Hammers have seen their troubles continue.
Wolverhampton Wanderers, the only team without a win from at least eight Premier League games this season, have tried to play the second-most long balls of any team with 474. In first place are Manchester United. In their 2-1 win at Anfield, the Red Devils often looked to play the ball forward, contributing to their tally of 481 long passes so far this season.
|Most Long Balls Attempted in the 2025/26 Premier League - 1st-10th|
|Rank|Club|Attempted Long Balls|Attempted Passes|
|1st|Manchester United|481|2,804|
|2nd|Wolves|474|2,648|
|3rd|West Ham United*|466|2,967|
|4th|Leeds United*|458|3,132|
|5th|Bournemouth|451|2,707|
|6th|Burnley|448|1,931|
|7th|Everton|448|2,403|
|8th|Crystal Palace|438|2,315|
|9th|Sunderland|426|2,422|
|10th|Chelsea|417|3,636|
(* indicates that team has played one more match than wider league)