"Some of the blocking or the way teams are blocking... I think there's no clear rule. Sometimes the referee whistles, and it's a foul, sometimes he doesn't. I think that's why we have this topic at the moment, but for me, the main topic is to make a clear rule how much blocking is allowed."
"Arsenal's 16 goals from corners this season are the joint-most by any team in a single Premier League campaign, alongside Oldham Athletic in 1992-93, West Brom in 2016-17 and Arsenal themselves in 2023-24. During the Arsenal-Chelsea game, several instances of players holding one another in the box, rather than concentrating on the ball, were highlighted by pundits."
"Mikel Arteta's side have also been criticised for how long they take over restarts, with the ball only being in play for 52 minutes and 59 seconds during their meeting with Chelsea, despite the match lasting 101 minutes. The average Premier League game this season has featured 55 minutes and 28 seconds of ball-in-play time."
Arsenal's set-piece effectiveness has drawn scrutiny following their 2-1 victory over Chelsea, where all three goals originated from corners. The Gunners have scored 16 corner goals this season, matching historical records. During the Chelsea match, players engaged in excessive holding rather than focusing on the ball, and Arsenal's restarts consumed significant time, with only 52 minutes 59 seconds of actual play in a 101-minute match compared to the Premier League average of 55 minutes 28 seconds. Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler argues that inconsistent refereeing on blocking fouls and deliberate delays require clearer regulations to restore fairness in set-piece situations.
Read at Soccer News
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