General Premier League Thread 2025/2026 - See Post #1 for Mod Note

What happened after that moment ?

Numbet 25 for West Ham was being held before the Arsenal keeper got into the play. Var chose to.completely ignore that.

• ​Sustained Contact: While brief "jostling" for the ball is allowed, holding is characterized by a sustained action that prevents the opponent from reaching the ball or a specific space.

Some penalties were awarded this season for fouls in box, where the ball was nowhere near the player foul, but most of the time that penalty is not given when ball is not with the player fouled. Same regarding keepers, one day it's a foul, one day it's not.

Maybe VAR should have data in real time, regarding same type of incidents, and the decision given in those incidents, as to become consistent

If anyone watched MOTD they would realise they need to read the rules and why the grappling before the goal doesn’t count.

Simple rules people can’t be bothered to check before they have a rant about Arsenal.

I think you missed this post

I’m not arguing it wasn’t a foul. People get confused and can’t process because I’m the only one not being tribal about this.

I’m just pointing out that there’s probably a grey area in the rules where putting your forearm across a goalkeeper and placing your hand on his shoulder isn’t automatically a foul.

And touching a goalkeeper in any way most certainly isn’t a foul.

He had his jersey pulled and his arm pulled.

The fact you and others are trying to make out he wasn’t fouled just makes your anti Arsenal agenda comically obvious.

So you will admit both Bayindir and Martinez were fouled by Arsenal players in the images above which led to goals.

Personally, I think it was just about the right call, but the crude reality is that there is about half a dozen fouls going on in the area, including the immediate ball area in-flight, that would warrant official evaluation on the level of the offence on Raya. Even on the above picture, flip it 180 degrees and you can see the offending player being fouled by being actively restrained, including shirt-pulling, from challenging for the ball by at least one defender. This is beyond even the usual level of manhandling going on in preparation of an indirect ball coming in, and for those needing something the PGMOL like to fall back on, materially impacting. Fouls both inward and outward.

I would hope it'd raise a discussion about the need to re-evaluate the nature of the 'set-piece disease' that has infected, primarily, the English game. Not to say that other divisions, even at the UEFA level, don't also have issues but even a casual observation of the PL over the last 2-3 years has seen a ridiculous level and variability over what is tolerated and what isn't in the confines of the box. It has been supposedly cracked down on in the last couple years, but the lack of consistency and teams pushing the limits has allowed it to grow out of control.

Ironically, the introduction of VAR, with it's own variability of competence, has only further muddied the water with a wildly inconsistent level of ruling for similar potential offences. I was struck by a moment of commentary from TNT during the Liverpool game on Sat whereby they lamented the state of play during of a particular duet of corner kicks crying that 'this is ridiculous', 'something has to be done' etc.......this, THIS coming from a media branch of the current game that has not only elevated such defensive and offensive measures as something to lauded with set-piece coaches being celebrated and criticism about how 'he needs to be stronger there', but wilfully accepts some incidents as good for the goose, yet beyond pale for the gander in the same phase of play despite the cameras catching them in the same frame as long as it supports the ultimate decision.

Unfortunately, the PL have the distraction of the World Cup etc this summer to really address things, so beyond a throwaway statement about being tougher around penalty box rough-housing that will last a few weekends before resorting to type, there may not be the will to actually effect change. Actual rule change may have to be an option if something is really going to be given a chance of working - 6yd area out of bounds on initial phase of all setpieces, free out if attacker enters, free kick if defender does etc. Something like that wouldnt stop all the rough-housing, but it'd at least help against some of the crap going on under the crossbar. Still requires actual refereeing to be done as ultimately you can blow a whistle as any ball comes in and VAR can pick out any incident to warrant a call it seems.

if you think they were then you must think yesterday's decision was correct then?

In general I think there’s been an effort with the refs to let more physical play go, “it’s a contact sport” type mentality. Which is fair enough especially around the pitch where players would throw themselves to the floor at the first second of contact. They would routinely do this especially if their team was ahead and referees giving frees and blowing the whistle to stop play is in their teams interest. It looks like there’s been an effort to stop that and I’ve noticed challenges that have been let go that in previous times would have been blown for frees.

It’s a laudable goal for those officiating the game to allow more physical contact which allows the game to flow more freely around the pitch however it causes havoc in the penalty area at corners or free kicks going into the box. The hassle at corners has always been there but I think it’s worse now and not an easy one to deal with.

I honestly hadn't noticed that it was being allowed. Any touch on the keeper is usually a foul these days. As I said yesterday we saw a goal disallowed for far less for Liverpool v Galatasaray last month. I know it's the Champions League where the protect goalkeepers more but the Premier League brought in a directive this season to match the CL interpretation so it's not surprising to see them penalise it more this season:

Are you purposely ignoring the numerous examples being posted above of goals being allowed in the premier league this year where Arsenal and other teams are clearly having their hands on the goalkeeper, as well as other fouls at the same time and on the keeper. not everything is about liverpool.

So whats your interpretation then if some goalkeepers are allowed be grabbed but not others? They are identical incidents of grabbing.