Corner kicks are currently a hot topic of discussion in the Premier League. Brighton coach Fabian Hürzeler drew attention to an additional problem ahead of the match against Arsenal.
How can wrestling in the penalty area be curbed? What do referees need to change? And are Premier League games still enjoyable to watch? In recent days, the world’s strongest league has been embroiled in a heated debate about corner kicks. One trigger: Arsenal’s 2-1 win over Chelsea on Sunday, in which the league leaders once again used two corners to score their goals—employing tactics that some consider borderline, while others find clever.
Ahead of Wednesday’s home game against the Gunners, Brighton coach Fabian Hürzeler naturally had to take a stand. And the 33-year-old took the opportunity to steer the discussion toward another related issue. “For me, the main issue is to establish a clear rule on how much time can be wasted on a corner, throw-in, or free kick,” he explained.
His accusation: “Nobody notices this, but when Arsenal have a corner and are in the lead, they sometimes spend over a minute just taking the corner. That’s why we need to establish clear rules, because otherwise we end up with a net playing time of 50 minutes instead of sometimes 65 minutes.” This difference is “enormous,” he said.
Arsenal has already set the record for corner goals
With 16, the Gunners have already set the record for the most goals from corners in a season, and there are still nine games to go. Overall, the proportion of set-piece goals in the Premier League is at an all-time high, which not everyone is happy about. ” Most Premier League games are no longer a joy for me,” Liverpool coach Arne Slot complained on Monday, even though his team had recently excelled in this area.
While there are still no concrete plans to limit the massive and often unpunished goalkeeper blocking in England, the international rule makers have already made decisions on the issue of time wasting: Starting with the new season, there will be countdowns, already familiar from goal kicks and throw-ins, to increase net playing time. Excessively long substitutions will also be sanctioned in the future.
“I believe that every fan who pays a lot of money to watch our games should see the same net playing time,” Hürzeler appeals. “They want to see a soccer event, they don’t want to see maybe 50 minutes of soccer and 40 minutes of nothing.”