In a recent match where Arsenal faced Manchester United, manager Mikel Arteta expressed discontent with referee Anthony Taylor's decision regarding the distance of the wall during a free-kick that led to United's goal. Arteta felt that Bruno Fernandes had exploited this allowance smartly. Despite differing opinions from players like Christian Eriksen, who stated the distance was advantageous, and Declan Rice, who focused on the wall's execution, the topic highlighted ongoing tensions around officiating standards in football.
"He's been smart and he took advantage, that is football. He's been smarter than the ref. That's okay, they allowed him to do it."
"Happy that the wall was about 15 metres away so it was perfect for him to put it over. It was beneficial for us."
"It felt like a couple of us jumped and some of us didn't, but I've not seen it back. It felt like the ball flew over us at quite a low height."
"The wall did feel far back. Even on our free-kick, when Martin [Odegaard] took it, they felt far back as well, more than usual."
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