Football Tactics Enter a New Era Marked by Experimentation and Set-Pieces
The era of Guardiolismo's monolithic tactical doctrine is over, giving way to a transitional period in football defined by experimentation rather than a single dominant approach.
A notable trend in the Premier League is the surge in set-piece coaching, led by specialists such as Nicolas Jover, Austin MacPhee, and Bernardo Cueva. This has resulted in 21.8% of goals this season coming from corners or throw-ins, a significant rise from 13.9% last season. The International Football Association Board (IFAB) has also floated a 30-second limit for taking set-pieces, and referees have become more tolerant of challenges on goalkeepers, often not penalising arm-grabbing if the grip is released before the ball arrives.
This shift does not represent a simple cyclical return to old methods but a reinvention where teams exploit vulnerabilities highlighted by data and changing priorities. For example, in the Chelsea versus Tottenham match, Enzo Maresca deployed three players forward while Tottenham defended deeper, enabling goalkeeper Robert Sánchez to claim throws more easily in a less crowded box.
Leeds United also saw improvement after Daniel Farke switched to a front two at half-time against Manchester City. Moreover, Dominic Calvert-Lewin is enjoying the best goalscoring form of his career, linked to broader tactical shifts in the game.
Pep Guardiola has commented that calendar congestion steers him away from radicalism, opting instead for a smaller squad and data-driven tweaks rather than wholesale changes.
Overall, modern football is maturing with revolutions now rare; future changes are expected to arise from synthesising current experiments rather than dramatic overhauls.
