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#3 Burnley (1290)
Burnley may be bottom of the Premier League table at the moment but they have always managed to claw their way back up. This is because Sean Dyche has employed a distinctive brand of football at Turf Moor over the last six to seven years. They may not possess the best players but their methods are efficient and effective.
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Although slightly unorthodox, Burnley operate with two wide wingers and two central front men who can get their heads on the ball when needed. But they often do not play from the back either, courtesy of which they need to hit a long ball to get the ball up the pitch and into the strikers.
Striker Ashley Barnes does an excellent job of receiving an aerial ball. Chris Wood also acted as a brilliant focal point before he joined Newcastle United in January this season.
But that shall not stop Dyche and co from operating this way. So far, however, they have managed 1290 long balls in just 18 games this term.
The Clarets have always played a certain way and their methods have results. Using long balls to your advantage is an innate technique and few pull it off better than them.
#2 Norwich City (1307)
There are a few things Norwich City have been good at this season but they have shown in recent weeks that they are not ready to be relegated just yet. One of the biggest reasons behind it is their effective use of the long ball.
Dean Smith has been given the job of keeping the Canaries in the Premier League beyond this campaign and he shall use every method to do so. The English manager has used tall strikers like Adam Idah and Josh Sargent to good use, while he is also churning out the best from Teemu Pukki.
Depending on which strike partnership they play, Idah and Sargent often prefer receiving a long ball as they can head it down to their strike partner. Alternatively, Pukki and Christos Tzolis are effective runners and can play on the shoulder of the defender.
Either way, the long ball has often been utilized to keep their opponents honest. Overall, the Carrow Road outfit have attempted 1307 long balls in 22 matches this season.
Norwich are sometimes a team that appears bereft of ideas. But the long ball strategy often bails them out and could become their reason for Premier League survival.
#1 Brentford (1414)
Brentford have never felt intimidated by the plight of the Premier League and the newly-promoted side have taken the game to most teams. Strong in possession and strong without it, the Bees have been one of the most resilient sides to watch in the Premier League this season.
Manager Thomas Franck had clear ideas of how to use his side's physicality to defeat their opponents. He has used both Bryan Mbeumo and Ivan Toney smartly by playing to their advantage. Both centre-forwards are strong in the air and combine well with each other.
Meanwhile, Ethan Pinnock, Kristoffer Ajer and Christian Norgaard are excellent distributors of the ball. They have often used long balls to transition play from one end to the other in quick succession. It has been so effective that they have played 1414 long balls in 23 games this season.
The Bees are a side most teams would like to avoid, especially because of their effective use of long balls and their capabilities that go along with it.
