Arsenal accused of breaking league rules in Manchester City draw

Arsenal face scrutiny over one tactic in the dramatic 1-1 draw at the Emirates Stadium, with claims of cheating.

The Gunners’ tactical approach during their thrilling encounter with Manchester City on Sunday has sparked controversy beyond the usual talking points. Riccardo Calafiori and others were spotted using towels to dry the ball before taking throws, leading to accusations of rule violations from City supporters.

The claims emerged on social media platform X, where influential Manchester City fan account @City_Chief alleged a clear breach of Premier League regulations.

However, a closer examination of the Premier League rule book reveals a different story. Contrary to that claim, the Premier League rule book does not explicitly forbid players from using a towel to dry the ball before a throw-in. The multi-ball system, introduced to speed up play, also makes no mention of towels or other methods of drying the ball.

The situation is different in the English Football League (EFL) however, which governs the Championship, League One, and League Two, where such practices were explicitly banned ahead of the 2023/24 season. The EFL’s decision to ban towels was primarily aimed at improving ‘ball in play’ statistics and speeding up the game.

Arsenal’s positioned towels next to balls solely in their opposition’s half, meaning only the home side had access for attacking throws. Since the Gunners started to regularly attempt long-throws at the latter stages of last season, this is the first time the towel tactic has been spotted.

The multi-ball system itself has specific regulations that clubs must follow. The Premier League operates with 15 balls in use to speed up the game, with players required to collect replacement balls from designated cones when the match ball is not quickly retrievable. Importantly, any interference with this system can result in sanctions, as demonstrated by Aston Villa’s recent punishment for breaching multi-ball rules.

What could potentially be used against Arsenal, however, lies in the broader regulations surrounding the multi-ball system. The Premier League rules state that “Participants (including but not limited to players, substitutes, occupants of the Technical Area or any other Club personnel) must not interfere with the multi-ball system, the match ball or the replacement balls at any time.” This clause could be interpreted to cover the strategic placement and use of towels, though no specific mention is made of drying aids.