Brighton used MMA fighter to cope with Premier League’s set-pieces: Why new trends prompted the move

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HenryTitle Race TrackerBrighton used MMA fighter to cope with Premier League’s set-pieces: Why new trends prompted the moveThe German coach did not disclose which MMA fighter had been invited Mike Hewitt via Getty Images Share articleFabian Hurzeler has confirmed that Brighton & Hove Albion brought an MMA fighter to training to help the club trial new techniques for defending set pieces. Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live earlier this week, 21-year-old Brighton midfielder Jack Hinshelwood praised the head coach’s innovative coaching techniques and revealed that an MMA fighter had been brought to a training session.  In a press conference before their away game against Newcastle United on Saturday, Hurzeler provided more context to Hinshelwood’s comments, revealing that the fighter had been brought to a training session a “couple of months ago” to help the side develop its physical edge. “We brought him in because we’ve spoken a lot about set-pieces, blocking, and new trends in the Premier League,” he said. “We are trying to adapt to it because I don’t want this club to always be known as a club that is nice. “In certain moments, you have to be quite resilient in personal duels. There are different ways of using your body and skills to win one-v-one duels, especially in set-pieces, and an MMA fighter always has one-v-one duels. Their job is to find a way to beat their opponent and we love getting ideas from other sports.  “We got some ideas from it which have been helpful for us as a team. As a club, we have never been known as being dominant in set-pieces or recruiting only for set-pieces, so we need to find ways to be innovative. “We don’t want to be beaten easily when we face taller teams. We might not be that physical regarding our height, but there are always ways you can defend and attack in these one-on-one duels. This is why we’re trying to use different techniques from MMA as well.” Hurzeler, 33, is the youngest head coach currently operating in the Premier League and his record of overseeing a game in the competition aged 31 years, five months and 22 days is second only to Ryan Mason, who took charge of a Tottenham Hotspur game in 2021 against 29-years, ten months, and eight days.  In recent years, under Hurzeler and his predecessors Roberto De Zerbi and Graham Potter, Brighton have been renowned for their attractive style of football and attacking combinations. The German coach did not disclose which MMA fighter had been invited and he is not the only Premier League manager who has garnered a reputation for unconventional training methods. In 2024, The Athletic revealed that Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta had hired professional pickpockets to (temporarily) rob his players of their phones and wallets at dinner, with the point of the exercise being to remind his players to be alert at all times. This is in addition to Arteta moving a Labrador named ‘Win’ to Arsenal’s training ground.  Brighton, who are sixth in the Premier League, travel to St James’s Park in a good run of form, having lost just one of their last eight games. Analysis by data and tactics writer Liam Tharme The shift to inswinging corners, particularly those whipped into the six-yard box, has been pronounced in the Premier League — moreso than any other European major league. In the 2018-19 season inswingers accounted for 41 per cent of corners. There were almost as many outswingers (36 per cent) while short corners and lofted straight deliveries made up the remaining one-fifth. Last term six of every 10 corners were inswingers and the share has risen higher this season to 71 per cent. Arsenal and Aston Villa, early proponents of set-piece coaches, crafted the inswinging corner blueprint which most other teams have copied. Manchester United goalkeeper Senne Lammens was praised by Everton head coach David Moyes for how well he commanded his box and deal with pressure at Everton’s corners earlier this season. Similarly, Chelsea are having their best season for a number of years from attacking corners (while struggling at defensive ones) thanks to a inswinger-dominant strategy, involving setting up players for a decoy short corner and crowding the opposition goalkeeper. The best coaches steal ideas from others — that’s been shown with the proliferation of short goal kicks, high pressing and long throws at different points in recent seasons. Plenty of Premier League coaches have spoken of a lack of protection for goalkeepers at defensive corners, with Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner last season saying how lenient the grappling rules were in England compared to the German Bundesliga. Hurzeler’s choice to take grappling lessons from the MMA is another innovative idea of his at these scenarios — at times his Brighton side have left three attackers up during defensive corners to force their opponents to keep bodies back and reduce congestion in the box. Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms