Graham Potter Brighton
Albion head coach Graham Potter has suggested that it has become too easy for teams to win penalties in the Premier League. They have conceded the joint-most penalties this season with eight. Only Liverpool and Wolves have given away as many. The majority of those have been scored except for Raheem Sterling’s effort, which missed the target. With VAR implementation, more penalties have been awarded, which in the past may have been considered ‘soft’ or a 50/50. The system has been able to view challenges under a microscope meaning more fouls are being picked up on no matter how light they are.
Graham Potter said: “It does seem any challenge or any sort of contact means it’s a penalty. I’m not so sure it’s as simple as that. There still has to be a foul or something stopping the attacker getting an opportunity in the box.”
Albion have not just been on the receiving end of penalties and have been awarded six penalties themselves. Neal Maupay and Pascal Gross have shared the duty scoring five of the six. Maupay missed one in the 1-1 draw against Liverpool at the Amex earlier in the season.
Graham Potter said: “We have had a few ourselves, a few quite soft ones that you think and look back and can see why it’s given but I’m not sure that it is the biggest foul in the world.”
One of the main reasons penalties have seemingly been on the rise is VAR’s ability to see fouls. When players are at full speed, it is easy for contact to bring players down. However, Potter does not want to see that taken away from the game.
Graham Potter said: “The game is played with so much speed and pace that you still want to keep an element of that in the box.”
