Man City actually do something one Premier League side just complained about more than any other club
Manchester City have been found to do one thing – which Nottingham Forest recently complained about – more than any other Premier League side.
It was The Athletic who provided the data.
So, what have Manchester City done? Let’s take a look…
Manchester City adjust the ball at freekicks more than any other side
Well, Nottingham Forest were left furious during their 3-2 defeat to Brentford on Saturday, as Ivan Toney scored a freekick after moving the ball outside of the referee’s foam.
Forest have since lodged an official complaint, with Nuno Espirito Santo exclaiming after full-time: “Everyone in the room will have seen the ball displacement and the law is clear. Every goal must be checked, every situation must be checked, when it leads to a goal.”
In that respect, the Portuguese tactician will be keeping a very close eye on Manchester City when Pep Guardiola takes his treble winners to the City Ground in April.
A study from The Athletic shows that Manchester City have moved the ball eight times from 20 freekicks across all competitions so far this season – a total of 40%.
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That makes Guardiola’s side the most prolific offenders in that area – although it is hardly the worst crime to commit on a football pitch, and to us, is nothing more than a little bit of the dark arts.
Guardiola will secretly be proud
Football at the highest level usually comes down to very fine margins, so any marginal gains a club can make, they should make them.
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Referees rarely even notice the ball being moved outside of the foam guideline, and the issue is not something VAR pick up on either – so why not take that extra inch to ensure the freekick is in a better position?
Until VAR actually decide to add this sneaky act into their remit, Manchester City will hopefully continue to exploit it.
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