Arsenal's 'dark arts' highlighted as David Moyes calls for crackdown - 'It's really poor'

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Everton manager David Moyes has called on officials to crack down on the amount of wrestling that goes on at set pieces, calling out Arsenal for their "dark arts". The Gunners are the undisputed kings of the set piece , but Moyes believes the methods they use should not be allowed.

Arsenal have scored 17 goals from set pieces in the Premier League this season - more than any other side. Quality delivery from the likes of Declan Rice , Bukayo Saka and Noni Madueke is combined with the attacking threat of Gabriel Magalhaes and clever movement and blocking schemes.

Their success with corner routines has seen the teams try to copy the schemes drawn up by Mikel Arteta and set piece coach Nicolas Jover. Everton travel to St James' Park on Saturday to face Newcastle - the second most prolific scorers from set pieces in the Premier League - and Moyes was asked about the issue in his pre-match press conference.

“You are now allowed lots of blocking, for example. In my day if you blocked someone it would have been a free-kick. But blocking has become a big part of it," the Everton boss said.

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“Let’s be fair, the best at it – but with style – would be Arsenal : good delivery, good style but ultimately there’s a lot of dark arts in it such as blocking the goalkeeper from the back or the front, blocking defenders and making it difficult for them to be your key headers of the ball.

“It is a big thing in football but I do think the level of refereeing has let that part of the game drop. And managers, if we see somebody else doing it and not getting punished for it, then we are all on it.”

His comments come after Manchester United goalkeeper Senne Lammens called out Everton's tactics for being "a bit over the top" in their 1-0 win at Hill Dickinson Stadium. Lammens managed to escape with a clean sheet but noted: "It was too much, but it can be difficult for the referee to see it."

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Moyes has admitted that, like every other side, Everton will try to push the limits of what is allowed by referees in order to get an advantage, but he still wants the officials to call more fouls.

“It has been allowed to be let go, whether it be blocking of goalkeepers or blocking of defenders, and you get the feeling now that referees really don’t want to get involved in any of it," he added.

“It is nearly wrestling to an extent, which it shouldn’t be. It should never have gone to this situation but I think it’s been really poor that they’ve not tried to deal with it well enough and stop it.”

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