JAMIE CARRAGHER reckons Arsenal are taking advantage of a football loophole.
But Paul Scholes labelled the tactic “cheating”.
The Gunners tried every trick in the book in an attempt to cling on to all three points at Manchester City on Sunday.
Those infamous “dark arts” included David Raya going down and allegedly needing treatment during the second half.
Unlike outfield players, when a goalkeeper is tended to by the team’s physio, they do not need to go off the field before returning to play.
Therefore, Arsenal know they can help run the clock down and delay play by helping Raya.
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This has been a tactic used throughout Raya’s time with the Gunners, often going down when Arsenal are under pressure and the opposition are gaining momentum as a way of taking the sting out and calming things down.
Speaking on Sky Bet’s The Overlap Fan Debate, Carragher likened the tactic to a Jose Mourinho masterclass.
He said: “Being a defender, I sometimes watch the game, and everyone wants to play the same way, so I was intrigued watching this attack against defence.
“It reminded me of Jose Mourinho’s Inter Milan going to Barcelona all those years ago when they had a man sent off early in the game.
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“Mourinho was always ahead of the game in trying to gain an advantage and there is one thing I do notice at Arsenal more than anywhere else, and I don’t know whether the stats back me up.
“David Raya goes down a lot more than other goalkeepers in tense situations because the rule is that a goalkeeper can’t go off.
“So that’s definitely one the coaching staff at Arsenal are switched on more than anyone else. I see Raya go down in high-pressure situations.”
However, Scholes chipped in and was far less diplomatic.
The ex-Manchester United midfielder replied: “Cheating, that’s called Jamie.
“I’ve seen it loads of times watching at Salford.
“The keeper goes down and the other ten players are with the manager getting tactics. Referees will see it and pick up on it.”
In Raya’s defence, he was spotted limping after full-time at the Etihad with his knee bandaged – suggesting the injury claims had some legitimacy this time.
So much so that Raya is a doubt for the League Cup trip to Bolton tonight, where 16-year-old Jack Porter could be drafted in for a shock debut.
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Raya’s antics on Sunday came back to bite him, though.
Because plenty of time-wasting in injury time saw more minutes added on – and John Stones scored the dramatic equaliser in the 98th minute to snatch a point.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
