Set pieces and long throws – the Premier League’s never-ending search for marginal gains

Brentford and Arsenal are two of the teams who are finding the most marginal gains in the Premier League. (Picture: Getty / PA)

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The Premier League table is as tight as it gets. Six points separate Manchester City in second and Brentford in thirteenth.

And while it is early in the season yet, after eight games newly promoted Sunderland already have two more points than Southampton managed overall last year.

Of course. The Best League in the World™ has been quietly getting less competitive over the past decade.

Teams at the top of the table have been getting more points than usual while those fighting to stay in the league no longer have to aim for 40 points, when 26 or 27 would have kept them up in the past two seasons.

However, that looks like it is set to change this year with only Arsenal looking capable of going on a long unbeaten run.

@metrosportuk Arteta and his marginal gains are back at it 😅 Atlético Madrid have made an official complaint to UEFA ahead of their Champions League match against Arsenal, because there was no hot water at the Emirates where the Spanish giants trained in preparation for the clash. #arsenal #atleticodemadrid #championsleague #uefa #hotwater ♬ Harry Potter (Trap Remix) – Trap Remix Guys

Sunderland, Leeds and Burnley have all shown they can compete at this level, while Manchester United and Tottenham are much improved too.

Wolves and West Ham have benefitted from promoted sides doing poorly in recent years and look shocked at the fact they actually have to fight to stay up this season.

Most sides now have the ability to beat anyone and an away trip to the likes of Crystal Palace or Bournemouth are no longer easy games for the top six.

Bournemouth have become one of the league’s most dangerous sides. (Picture: AFC Bournemouth via Getty Images)

We can all blame (or thank) Brentford . The Bees have been punching above their weight in the Premier League for five seasons now and despite losing their talismanic manager, two best players in Bryan Mbeumo and Yoanne Wissa , first-choice goalkeeper and their captain during the summer, have had a good start with results against Chelsea and Man United in recent weeks.

Whether it’s scoring goals almost directly from kick-off, utilising the long throw before it came back into fashion or deploying clever tactics to destabilise their opponents, Brentford have become the league’s best at finding marginal gains.

It’s no wonder their methods have become so popular, with Arsenal last season and now most of the rest of the league adopting a more direct and manufactured approach .