Keith Hackett blasts PGMOL after incident in Aston Villa win vs Chelsea, he wants IFAB law change
The PGMOL have been strongly criticised for Chelsea’s opening goal vs Aston Villa.
Aston Villa travelled to Stamford Bridge to take on Chelsea on Saturday night in a huge Premier League clash.
Two second-half goals from Ollie Watkins saw Villa run out 2-1 winners over Chelsea, as Unai Emery‘s side once again kept pace with title rivals Arsenal and Manchester City.
Chelsea felt aggrieved that they weren’t awarded a penalty after Ian Maatsen handled the ball just minutes into the second half, but both referee Stuart Atwell and VAR felt it wasn’t a handball offence.
PGMOL to blame for ‘mess we are witnessing’ from corner kicks
Chelsea took the lead in the game on 37 minutes, after Joao Pedro, largely unbeknownst to him at the time, diverted the ball into the Aston Villa net after a Reece James corner made its way through the penalty area before striking him on the calf and going in.
However, Aston Villa goalkeeper Emi Martinez was involved in tussles with Enzo Fernandez and Pedro before the ball was nestling in his goal, in what was a scrappy opener for the Blues.
But, it was a goal that Keith Hackett believes highlights the failings of the officiating board for allowing these routinely chaotic scenes from corners unfold, like the one for Pedro’s goal.
Speaking exclusively to Villa News, the ex-PGMOL chief said: “What we are witnessing at corner kicks is a game that is more akin to Rugby not Football.
“It is frankly a mess and down to the PGMOL Management for allowing the systematic holding, blocking, pulling, grappling to go unpunished.
“No player or Manager has any right to moan when the actions of the type mentioned above go unpunished. The game needs to be cleaned up. I support Dr Errol Sweeney a distinguished former FIFA referee, when he suggests that the law should introduce the one-metre gap between players at corner kicks.
“An extension of the law that applies at set piece free kicks when the players when firming a wall have to have a one metre gap between attackers and defenders.”
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Hackett’s frustrations will resonate with many football fans
There are some unanimous things in the game that unite football fans in their frustration, and unpunished shirt pulling, holding and grappling from corner kicks is definitely one of them.
Melee’s in the box ensue from pretty much every corner kick situation, and yet a lot of the time, blatant obstructions that would be given as fouls anywhere else on the pitch are, for whatever reason, allowed to go unpunished.
- Aston Villa had 11 shots against Chelsea, with eight being on target
- Villa only managed 37 per cent possession against Chelsea, and recorded an expected goals (xG) number of 1.05 – per FotMob
- Emery’s side have now won five of their nine PL away games this season, only losing twice on the road
As such, it does feel as though something needs to be done regarding how referees police what goes on between players from corner kicks, but that may be far easier said than done.
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