The tremors of Man Utd’s victory against Arsenal back in January are still being felt at FIFA as Mark Clattenburg is vindicated.
It was just Michael Carrick’s second game in charge of Man Utd when he rocked up at the home of league leaders and sucker-punched them en route to a 3-2 win.
That result has aged insanely well due to what has transpired after, but the circumstances in which that game was won are even more remarkable.
So remarkable, in fact, that FIFA have now taken action demanded by former PL referee Mark Clattenburg back then.
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People have been quick to put an asterisk on the title Arsenal have won this season due to how extremely they’ve pushed the limits on what football is.
Nothing quite sums up that sentiment like their approach to set-pieces, mainly corners.
During Man Utd’s 3-2 win against Arsenal, they tested Senne Lammens to the extreme, positioning multiple players solely to stop Lammens from getting to the ball.
The Belgian came through that test far better than Altay Bayindir on the opening day, when Arsenal did the same.
So extreme was Arsenal’s approach in January that Mark Clattenburg, in an exclusive with United in Focus, demanded that PGMOL take strict action to clamp down on it.
Nearly six months on from that farce, Clattenburg’s advice has aged like wine, proving why he was such a big name in the industry.
FIFA brings ‘anti-Arsenal’ law from World Cup onwards
FIFA have finally decided to take action with a rule that is one season long overdue, which will stop players from acting as blockers on a set-piece.
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If the referee finds that a player’s sole intention is to prevent an opposition player from playing the ball, the player will be penalised, as per The Daily Mail.
The referee can take action even before the kick is taken, and he’s free to adjudicate after as well.
The rule comes into force from the first game of the World Cup, but will extend to club football from the start of next season.
Teams will have to devise clever set-piece routines instead of trying to brute-force the ball into the goal like Arsenal did all season.
It has been a long time coming. Better late than never.
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