Premier League given solution to corner chaos as refs challenged to make brave calls

Chaos at corners is very much under the microscope after another weekend where set pieces proved crucial, but the dark arts occurring in the 18-yard box isn't pleasing everyone.

Arsenal have become the masters with both their goals against Chelsea coming courtesy of corners. They've made set-piece goals their trademark but the jostling, holding, jockeying for space and impact on the goalkeeper is becoming increasingly questioned.

Liverpool boss Arne Slot says concedes that Premier League games are no longer a "joy to watch" and his "football heart doesn't like" the importance that is now placed on dead ball situations.

The traditionalists may argue he needs to let go of his utopia and respect their place in the game. Others will look to the referees and say they've been far too soft for far too long. Disallowing a goal for a push, when there are multiple shoves in a matters of seconds, has always courted controversy.

Is that aspect of the game beyond saving or can the game's bosses actually ensure that dead-ball situations are fairly competed? New laws are always being considered and we ask whether serious change is needed.

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Mirror Football's writers have given their takes on what can be done - or not done - to reduce the noise around the chaos that exists every time a ball is swung into the penalty area.

Call me old fashioned, but football is a physical game. At least it used to be, until modern times sanitised the national sport to reduce it to something on a par with crocket. Jostling ahead of a corner is nothing more than handbags.

Let them get on with it, because all teams are guilty. But the authorities won't. They love to get involved in making football better, yet only succeed in making it worse.

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So, following the introduction of VAR, which has changed the sport to such a detrimental level, why don't the Premier League go the whole hog and stick a camera on each crossbar.

Employ someone to watch the footage ahead of free kicks and corners, he can liaise directly with the referee and inform him of who has committed the worst offence. Another stoppage is the last thing football needs, but it's a way too late to worry about that.

Let's be honest: the game is a mess at the moment. The introduction and continual increase in power of VAR has started a downward spiral and every Ifab meeting just makes things worse as they try to tweak themselves out of the mess they've made.

Grappling at corners is a fair way down my list of grievances, below the shambolic handball rule and lengthy VAR delays, but it has become fairly ridiculous. If referees suddenly started clamping down on it, by giving a few penalties for holding, would it stamp it out?

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Probably not instantly, but surely after a while, players would realise it's no longer open season in the box from set pieces.

These things tend to veer between the two extremes and the current version is, in my opinion, preferable to the other end of the spectrum, where every slight hint of contact results in a penalty. But it would be nice to see the middle ground once again, even if - in the short term - it would mean more outrage and cries of "all we ask for is consistency!"

The solution to the unseemly scrapping at corner-kicks lies solely in the hands of the officials. Down the years, there has been a school of thought that believes goalkeepers have been an over-protected species. Maybe. And if that has been the case, then it is time to make it official.

Keepers should be reassured that if they are impeded in ANY way when dealing with a corner-kick, they will get a free-kick. If they know there is a good chance of opponents being penalised for the slightest contact, then perhaps they will have the confidence to come out and deal with corners that are sent into the six-yard area - just like Senne Lammens did at Everton recently.

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If a keeper comes out and an opponent stands in front of him, give a free-kick. Harsh? Perhaps. But everyone is sick and tired of this mess and if it takes a refereeing bias towards the team defending the corner to sort it out, then fine.

Let’s put it this way, watch the rest of the Champions League and watch the World Cup - there will be none of these six-yard box shenanigans because the referees will not put up with them. And it will never be the defending team who gets penalised.

I'm all for gaining a competitive advantage, gamesmanship has its hands over every professional sport, not just football. But the reason it is allowed to become so common is because referees lack the bravery to make a big call.

We've seen them try and push initiatives in the past, but they last a matter of weeks after some bad press. The constant line that seems to get thrown around is 'if you give a penalty for that, then you'll give 10 every game'. Ok, great, so be it. Penalties are as big a deterrent we have in the game.

Refs needs to start policing corners far better. Yes its a physical game, but goalkeepers cannot be blocked off from getting to the ball. Simple as. Attackers cannot hold a shirt and use their opponent as some form of a boost into the air without getting penalised.

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