Former Prem official proposes ‘law change’ which could have swung title race away from Arsenal | OneFootball

Former Premier League official Darren Cann has proposed a “law change” which could have changed the title race, after Arsenal were saved by VAR in their victory over West Ham.

Arsenal ended their 36th match of the Premier League season with a five-point gap on second-placed Manchester City. Five points in the remaining two games would confirm the title, and it could be less if City don’t beat Crystal Palace midweek.

But the Gunners’ gap was almost two points smaller, as they were given a reprieve by VAR when, in stoppage time of their victory over West Ham, the home side’s late equaliser was chalked off due to a foul on David Raya.

Striker Pablo was clearly holding Raya, stopping his jump which would no doubt have allowed him to claim the ball, but there were about another four skirmishes going on in the box, with players from either side the aggressor depending on which you looked at.

Fans of West Ham, of rival sides and the Hammers’ skipper, Jarrod Bowen, have complained, some suggesting it wasn’t a foul and some asking for more consistency on these types of decision.

Former Premier League official, Cann, feels you could eradicate moments like this by changing the laws.

He said on BBC Radio 5 Live: “I think there is too much skirmishing generally at corners anyway. My idea that I have been saying for three years now is that I believe attacking players shouldn’t be allowed in the goal area before the corner is taken, so that would give natural separation between defenders and attackers and it would stop the intermingling before the ball is in play.

“You can’t give a defensive free kick or a penalty if the ball is not in play, so it would stop this constant pushing and grappling at corners if we separate the players.

“It is a simple law change for attackers to have to start outside the goal area and it would avoid these situations.”

That would not necessarily end these moments. Players would still meet in the box and get ahold of one another, just as they did in Arsenal’s victory, it would just come later in the process.

Indeed, it’s not as if the holding doesn’t occur when the ball has been played in, it’s quite the opposite, though some had indeed started before Bowen whipped the ball in.

But in that instance, had the players started outside the box, things would have been completely different. Players wouldn’t have been in the same place, the foul might not have occurred and West Ham might have scored.

On the flip side, Raya might have come and easily claimed the ball and the Hammers might never have gotten a chance.