BREAKING NEWS: PGMOL reveals the strange reason why Ricardo Calafiori was prevented from using towel yesterday – this is always against Arsenal team
The reason Riccardo Calafiori was banned from using a towel before taking a throw-in during Arsenal’s 2-1 win at Newcastle on Sunday has now been explained. The Football League enforces a rule banning external equipment as part of its clampdown on time-wasting, but the Premier League has no specific rule regarding towels.
Despite Arsenal being allowed to dry the ball before set pieces in their draw against Manchester City last weekend – and Jefferson Lerma taking up to 15 seconds to do the same before launching the ball into the box for Crystal Palace’s late winner against Liverpool on Saturday (watch below) – Calafiori was stopped by the referee from following suit.
The incident has left many Premier League viewers confused about what the rules actually are, but someone with a deep knowledge of the game and its rules has now clarified the reasoning behind Jarred Gillett’s intervention.
Why Calafiori Wasn’t Allowed To Use Towel At Newcastle
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What the TV cameras missed was Calafiori running all the way behind Nick Pope’s goal to retrieve the goalkeeper’s towel before using it to dry the ball for extra grip. A source from The Athletic with knowledge of the rules explained (see incident below):
“Both teams have to agree on them being placed around the pitch pre-match. They also have to be evenly distributed at points along the edge of the playing surface. As a result, moving one from one area of the field to another for use is not allowed.”
Arsenal battled back from a goal down against Newcastle, who had taken the lead after escaping an early penalty scare when Nick Pope clattered Viktor Gyokeres, to which VAR controversially – and wrongly for many – overturned the decision.
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The Magpies held on until the 84th minute, but two set pieces undid their hard work in classic Mikel Arteta fashion, with Mikel Merino and Gabriel both scoring with headers. The win leaves the Gunners just two points behind league leaders Liverpool, after the champions suffered a late defeat to Crystal Palace on Saturday, ending their unbeaten run.
Their next fixture against West Ham at home provides the north Londoners with a perfect opportunity to go top – even if only for a brief moment.
