Analysis: The Long Throw Is Back - Toulouse’s late equaliser and a cross-Channel trend
Toulouse stunned the Vélodrome late on Saturday night. Deep into added time, defender Mark McKenzie launched the ball from the right touchline with a throw more reminiscent of an NFL quarterback than a Ligue 1 centre-back. Santiago Hidalgo rose, glanced a header past Gerónimo Rulli, and Marseille — who had one hand on victory — were left with only a point. A simple routine, perhaps. But not one born of chance.
A detail ignored — and punished
OM’s downfall arrived from the smallest of margins. Marseille had possession, lost accuracy, and put the ball out under pressure. What followed was pre-rehearsed, direct and efficient: McKenzie stepped up, Hidalgo attacked the space, and the defending evaporated. “Conceding from a throw-in — it’s not normal. It’s a silly goal,” said Benjamin Pavard post-match on Ligue 1+.
Marseille boss Roberto De Zerbi echoed the sentiment in his post-match press conference. “We lose top spot on a throw-in. Details matter. Our positioning there — that’s what angers me.”
Marseille knew the threat. Twice McKenzie had gone long earlier in the match, with Rulli advancing to claim. On the third attempt, OM dropped deeper, hesitation followed, and Toulouse executed flawlessly.
TFC’s new weapon - engineered, not improvised
This is no accidental innovation. McKenzie averages just over four long throws per match, a volume more commonly associated with the Premier League than Ligue 1. Carles Martínez Novell has embraced it — and confirmed the idea came from the US international himself. “Mark told us he no longer throws like last season. He showed us in training — so we use it now,” explained the Toulouse coach.
The throw travels close to 30 metres, essentially a cross delivered by hand. Beside him sits set-piece specialist Aurélien Dubearn, who works specifically on these routines and came down from the stands mid-match to deliver touchline instructions. When Hidalgo equalised, he was the first staff member mobbed in celebration. Yet this is also part of a bigger trend.
Across the Channel, the long throw is booming
While Ligue 1 is only beginning to see long throws return, the Premier League is already experiencing a full-scale revival. In 2025/26, long throws have become the league’s most rapidly growing attacking mechanism.
3.99 long throws per match on average (up 162% from last season)
Already more long throws than the entire 2020/21 season
A goal now arrives once every 11.25 matches, compared to once every 27 last year
Brentford (47 throws into the box), Crystal Palace (38), Sunderland (33) and Bournemouth (30) are leading the charge, while Palace currently boast the highest success rate — finding a teammate 34% of the time.
The Premier League’s most effective patterns mirror Toulouse’s goal at the Vélodrome exactly:
→ Long throw → near-post contact → second ball → goal
France is next — and Toulouse may be leading the trend
McKenzie’s technique is still novel in Ligue 1 McDonald's. Opponents won't be surprised anymore, but the value remains. In an era of structured build-up patterns, pressing schemes and automatisms, the long throw offers something far more primal. The question now remains, will more Ligue 1 McDonald's sides be looking to implement this tactic going forward this season?
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