Manchester United is leading the Premier League in long passes from the beginning of the season until now.
This season, Manchester United leads the Premier League in the quantity of long passes, clearly demonstrating the "direct football" philosophy implemented by coach Ruben Amorim. According to Opta statistics, the "Red Devils" have completed 466 long passes, more than any other team.
This figure puts Man Utd ahead of Wolves (464) to claim the top spot in long ball statistics, far surpassing possession-focused teams like Manchester City (307), Arsenal (350), and Liverpool (366).
Under Amorim’s leadership, the Manchester club has shown a clear shift toward a pragmatic, powerful style, unafraid to use long kicks to capitalize on the strength of their attacking players.
This change is most evident in the goalkeeper position. Senne Lammens, who recently replaced Altay Bayindir, has introduced a completely different style. Instead of short, risky passes from the defensive half typical of modern trends, the 23-year-old Belgian goalkeeper frequently opts for long kicks whenever possible. In the match against Liverpool, he completed only 9 out of 46 passes, mostly long balls aimed at helping teammates win aerial duels.
Coach Amorim also admitted before the match: “We have many strong players up front. If we win the second ball, we can skip complicated build-ups and seize scoring opportunities.”
Even Liverpool’s coach Arne Slot acknowledged the effectiveness of this style, though he couldn’t hide his frustration after the 1-2 loss at Anfield. “If someone had told me beforehand that we would face a team playing so many long balls, I wouldn’t have expected us to lose. But the reality is they won.” the Dutch strategist said.
Despite ongoing debates, the results favor Amorim. After a shaky start, Man Utd has won two consecutive matches, including a victory at Liverpool’s ground. This weekend, they will host Brighton at home, aiming to extend their winning streak and prove that "long ball" is not just a tactic of the past, but could be the pathway for the Red Devils’ comeback.