Jamie Carragher explains 'why people dislike Arsenal' as corner grappling debate rages | OneFootball

Gunners are back at the centre of VAR controversy after VAR denies West Ham equaliser

Jamie Carragher believes Premier League fans resent Arsenal because of their willingness to ’push boundaries’.

The Spaniard has made a habit of finding marginal gains as he looked to build Arsenal back into title-winning condition.

That has manifested most notably in the side’s approach to set-pieces. Arsenal’s markedly physical corner routines have propelled their title charge this season and caused controversy as West Ham saw a late equaliser ruled out after employing a similar approach.

Pablo Felipe’s foul on David Raya saw West Ham’s late equaliser disallowed

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Speaking on Sky Sports, he began: “The reason there's been so much uproar about [West Ham’s goal being disallowed], is there are a lot of people who don't want Arsenal to win the league.

“What we saw yesterday was something we've seen every week in the Premier League. This all started with Arsenal, two or three years ago, putting 15 people in the six-yard box.”

Carragher continued: “This is a football club, whether you like it or not, who push the boundaries in every area to try to gain an advantage.

“The manager stands on the edge of the touchline, putting the opposition's left-winger or right-back off. Gabriel going down every time someone breathes on him.”

The debate surrounding Arsenal’s win over West Ham has seen many fans raise the point that Arsenal regularly ‘get away with’ similar offences to that which saw Callum Wilson’s goal ruled out.

Mikel Arteta’s drive to ‘push the boundaries’ has prompted the ire of rival fans

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For Carragher, this is an erroneous argument - he maintains that Arsenal are simply the best set-piece team in the league.

“I look at these situations, and look at why people are disgruntled, because Arsenal push the boundaries.

“You look back at the Man Utd game on the opening weekend for the winner, Saliba's backing into the [Altay] Bayindir, making it really difficult. You could stop a still and say ‘look where his arm is’. But when it carries on, he's not really stopping him.

“There's another one in December when they beat Aston Villa 4-1. Gabriel was backing into the goalkeeper. Did he elbow him? Maybe he caught him, but the goalkeeper should still do better.

“What is the same as Sunday is what happened three years ago at Leicester. Ben White, at Leicester, had a grip on the goalkeeper's glove. He then hooks in and makes sure he can't lift his right arm up. Arsenal got the ball back, Leandro Trossard put it in, and the goal was disallowed.

“So this idea that they're getting away with it, they're not. They push the boundaries as far as they can, they're the best on set-pieces, and when they do what happened there, they get pulled up on it.”