Karl Darlow
Leeds United’s goalkeeper, Karl Darlow, has voiced his concerns regarding the current state of officiating in the Premier League, particularly focusing on the liberties afforded to attackers during set-pieces. Darlow believes that the situation has become increasingly challenging for goalkeepers, as attackers seem to have more freedom to impede them without facing penalties.
Karl Darlow said: “It’s probably been more difficult to get to the ball in terms of corners and who you’ve got on you. Don’t get me wrong, there have always been people on you but now there has been full-on plans on what each set piece is going to look like. I think that’s the biggest change in terms of how they’ve targeted key headers of the ball and the goalkeeper. I wonder if the Premier League can do anything about it because the way it’s going it’s almost as if you can do whatever you like and it’s not being penalised.”
Darlow’s comments come in the wake of a controversial incident during West Ham’s recent defeat to Arsenal. In that match, Callum Wilson’s stoppage-time goal was disallowed by VAR after it was determined that Arsenal’s goalkeeper, David Raya, was impeded during a corner. This incident has reignited discussions around the enforcement of rules during set-pieces.
Howard Webb said: “We consult all the time with the clubs, with the fan groups, with a range of other stakeholders about the type of game that they want to see and how they want us to officiate it. We’ll certainly continue consulting with all of the people I mentioned earlier about the type of game they want to see, because we have seen more involvement from set-piece coaches bringing players together in these areas, looking for those marginal gains. But we need to be vigilant. We need to identify those clear actions that are impactful. We’ve penalised more holding penalties than we did last year, but we’ve missed some as well.”
The Premier League’s head of officiating, Webb, emphasized the ongoing consultations with clubs and stakeholders to ensure the game is officiated according to the expectations of all parties involved. He acknowledged the increased role of set-piece coaches and the need for vigilance in identifying impactful actions during matches.
Howard Webb said: “On the Raya incident, clubs had been told since pre-season that any impediment on the goalkeeper would be classed as a foul.”
This ongoing dialogue highlights the league’s commitment to maintaining the integrity of the game while adapting to the evolving strategies employed by teams. Darlow’s concerns underscore the challenges faced by goalkeepers and the need for consistent enforcement of rules to ensure fair play.
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