By Abigail David

Premier League referees have been instructed to take a tougher stance on holding and grappling at set pieces this season, with officials told to pay greater attention to actions that have a clear impact on play.

Although the laws of the game remain unchanged, officials across the Premier League, English Football League and Women’s Super League have been directed to take stronger action against deliberate holding. This applies particularly when it prevents opponents from competing for the ball or moving into dangerous positions.

The focus will be on what officials describe as “non-footballing holding actions” — instances where a player is only focused on an opponent, makes no attempt to play the ball, uses both arms to hold an opponent, or persistently holds a player or their clothing.

Under the renewed approach, defenders who turn their backs to an incoming corner or free-kick and deliberately hold an attacker to prevent their movement could be penalised.

Officials urged to act decisively

Premier League referees’ chief Howard Webb said officials had been encouraged to act decisively rather than repeatedly issuing warnings, according to BBC Sport on Thursday.

“We’re trying to get the officials to be as confident as they can be to penalise what they see,” Webb said. “So fewer warnings, more actions penalised, and if there’s any reduction in offences being penalised it should be a result of a modification of player behaviour rather than us no longer applying it.”

The tougher approach follows concerns over missed VAR interventions last season. Of the 20 missed interventions identified, a quarter involved penalties that were not awarded after players were wrestled to the ground away from the ball.

However, Webb stressed that the Premier League would not adopt an excessively strict approach to physical contact, particularly involving goalkeepers. The league will maintain a high threshold for contact, meaning ordinary bumps will not automatically result in a goal being ruled out. But a goalkeeper whose movement is clearly restricted, such as having an arm held back, could still be penalised.

Impact on set-piece tactics

The change could have a significant effect on set-piece tactics. Premier League clubs scored 269 goals from set pieces last season, excluding penalties and direct free-kicks. Such goals accounted for a record 25.7 per cent of all goals in the league.

Arsenal led the way with 25 set-piece goals, while Manchester United scored 21 and Tottenham Hotspur 19. At the other end, Liverpool conceded a league-high 19 goals from set pieces, followed by Chelsea and Newcastle United, who each conceded 17. Arsenal’s success was particularly notable, as they combined attacking efficiency with defensive strength, conceding only seven set-piece goals.

The new refereeing emphasis could therefore force clubs to reconsider how they defend and attack corners and free-kicks.

Webb said the objective was not to eliminate physicality from football but to discourage actions that have no genuine connection with playing the ball. “If we start penalising offences, players have to adjust their tactics,” he said. “And then those kinds of situations reduce in number.”

The approach will now be tested over the course of the season, with consistency likely to be crucial. Referees will have to maintain the standard beyond the opening weeks while ensuring that normal physical contact remains part of the game.

For players and clubs, the message is clear: deliberate holding at set pieces will face greater scrutiny, and those who continue to use grappling as a tactic could find themselves giving away penalties.

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By Abigail David

Chelsea forward Joao Pedro has emerged as the Premier League’s leading pre-season goalscorer, while Arsenal signing Christos Tzolis finished top of the assists chart ahead of the 2026/27 campaign.

Joao Pedro scored seven goals during Chelsea’s pre-season preparations, including a nine-minute hat-trick against Western Sydney Wanderers and braces against AC Milan and Real Sociedad.

Aston Villa teenager Brian Madjo followed with five goals, while Nottingham Forest’s Igor Jesus and Crystal Palace’s Matheus Franca scored four each.

Several players recorded three goals, including Bournemouth’s Evanilson and Justin Kluivert, Brentford’s Igor Thiago, Crystal Palace’s Eddie Nketiah and Manchester United’s Bryan Mbeumo.

Tzolis tops assists chart

Tzolis provided six assists during Arsenal’s pre-season campaign. He also registered two assists in the Community Shield victory over Manchester City and earned a Fantasy assist after winning a penalty against Borussia Dortmund.

Manchester City’s Antoine Semenyo finished second with five assists, while Aston Villa’s Emiliano Buendia recorded four.

Top pre-season goalscorers

Player	Goals	Club
Joao Pedro	7	Chelsea
Brian Madjo	5	Aston Villa
Matheus Franca	4	Crystal Palace
Igor Jesus	4	Nottingham Forest
Evanilson	3	Bournemouth
Justin Kluivert	3	Bournemouth
Igor Thiago	3	Brentford
Eddie Nketiah	3	Crystal Palace
Thierno Barry	3	Everton
Dominic Calvert-Lewin	3	Leeds
Lukas Nmecha	3	Leeds
Bryan Mbeumo	3	Man United
Arnaud Kalimuendo	3	Nottingham Forest
Enzo Le Fee	3	Sunderland
Richarlison	3	Tottenham

Top pre-season assisters

Player	Assists	Club
Christos Tzolis	6	Arsenal
Antoine Semenyo	5	Man City
Emiliano Buendia	4	Aston Villa
Daniel Jebbison	3	Bournemouth
Jamie Gittens	3	Chelsea
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall	3	Everton
Morgan Gibbs-White	3	Nottingham Forest
Mathys Tel	3	Tottenham

The new Premier League season is scheduled to begin on August 21, with the pre-season figures providing an early indication of players who could make an impact.

By Abigail David

Premier League clubs have completed their final preparations for the 2026/27 season, with teams recording mixed results in their final summer friendlies.

Brentford produced the biggest win of the final round, thrashing Eintracht Frankfurt 7-0, while Chelsea, Brighton, Fulham, Ipswich Town, Sunderland and Nottingham Forest also ended pre-season with victories.

Arsenal defeated Manchester City 3-0 in the Community Shield, while Manchester United suffered a 4-2 loss to AC Milan. Aston Villa also ended their preparations with a 2-1 defeat to Borussia Monchengladbach.

Liverpool recorded a 2-0 victory over Como in one of their final pre-season matches, while Tottenham beat Hoffenheim 3-0 before a second meeting between the clubs ended 2-2.

Here is the club-by-club summary of the 2026/27 pre-season:

Arsenal

• MK Dons 0-3 Arsenal
• Arsenal 4-1 Girona
• Arsenal 1-3 Real Betis
• Arsenal 2-3 Borussia Dortmund
• Arsenal 1-1 Como (won on penalties)
• Arsenal 3-0 Manchester City (Community Shield)

Aston Villa

• Walsall 0-5 Aston Villa
• Porto 2-1 Aston Villa
• Aston Villa 2-4 Real Sociedad
• Indonesia All-Stars 1-3 Aston Villa
• BG Pathum United 1-3 Aston Villa
• Bayern Munich 2-1 Aston Villa
• PSG 2-1 Aston Villa (UEFA Super Cup)
• Borussia Monchengladbach 2-1 Aston Villa

Bournemouth

• St Pauli 1-4 Bournemouth
• Bournemouth 5-2 Augsburg
• Genoa 1-10 Bournemouth
• Real Betis 2-2 Bournemouth
• Mainz 2-1 Bournemouth

Brentford

• Brentford 3-2 AFC Wimbledon
• Brentford 4-1 Wycombe
• Rennes 1-2 Brentford
• Brentford 7-0 Eintracht Frankfurt

Brighton

• Brighton 4-1 Wycombe Wanderers
• Brighton 4-3 Strasbourg
• Brighton 3-0 Roma
• Brighton 1-0 Bologna

Chelsea

• Western Sydney Wanderers 4-6 Chelsea
• Chelsea 1-2 Tottenham
• Chelsea 0-1 Juventus
• Chelsea 3-0 AC Milan
• Johor Darul Ta’zim 3-3 Chelsea
• Chelsea 3-1 Real Sociedad

Coventry City

• Wimbledon 3-2 Coventry
• Northampton Town 0-0 Coventry
• Leicester 0-1 Coventry
• West Brom 1-1 Coventry
• Coventry 3-1 Espanyol
• Coventry 2-0 Monaco

Crystal Palace

• Crystal Palace 5-1 Swindon
• Bromley 3-0 Crystal Palace
• Famalicao 0-0 Crystal Palace
• Lens 3-0 Crystal Palace
• Fulham 1-2 Crystal Palace
• Freiburg 3-0 Crystal Palace

Everton

• Dundee 0-4 Everton
• Bolton 0-0 Everton
• Stoke 1-0 Everton
• Hamburg 1-2 Everton
• Stuttgart 3-1 Everton
• Newcastle 1-3 Everton

Fulham

• Fulham 0-2 Norwich
• Al-Ahli 1-1 Fulham
• Farense 1-2 Fulham
• Fulham 1-2 Crystal Palace
• Malaga 2-2 Fulham
• Fulham 1-0 Stuttgart

Hull City

• Konyaspor 0-3 Hull
• Caykur Rizespor 1-2 Hull
• Hull 1-1 Kasimpasa
• Eintracht Frankfurt 2-0 Hull
• Hull 0-0 Nice

Ipswich Town

• Ipswich 1-2 Osasuna
• Oxford United 0-2 Ipswich
• Wycombe 1-2 Ipswich
• Ipswich 1-0 Le Havre
• Ipswich 3-0 Rayo Vallecano
• Union Berlin 2-4 Ipswich

Leeds United

• Leeds 2-3 Wrexham
• Leeds 1-0 Sunderland
• Liverpool 2-4 Leeds
• Leeds 2-0 RB Leipzig
• Manchester United 1-1 Leeds

Liverpool

• Liverpool 4-2 Sunderland
• Liverpool 1-0 Wrexham
• Liverpool 2-4 Leeds
• Liverpool 2-3 Monaco
• Liverpool 0-0 Como
• Liverpool 2-0 Como

Manchester City

• Manchester City 1-1 Inter Milan
• K-League All-Stars 1-3 Manchester City
• Manchester City 3-1 Atletico Madrid
• Arsenal 3-0 Manchester City (Community Shield)

Manchester United

• Manchester United 0-1 Wrexham
• Rosenborg 0-5 Manchester United
• Manchester United 2-1 Atletico Madrid
• PSG 1-1 Manchester United
• Manchester United 1-1 Leeds
• Manchester United 2-4 AC Milan

Newcastle United

• Newcastle 3-0 Darlington
• Gateshead 1-1 Newcastle
• Newcastle 1-4 Bristol City
• Valencia 1-2 Newcastle
• Newcastle 1-3 Everton
• Newcastle 1-2 Bayer Leverkusen
• Newcastle 1-1 Strasbourg

Nottingham Forest

• Notts County 0-2 Nottingham Forest
• Nottingham Forest 3-0 Blackburn
• Vitoria 1-1 Nottingham Forest
• Sporting 4-1 Nottingham Forest
• Portimonense 1-2 Nottingham Forest
• Udinese 1-0 Nottingham Forest
• Barcelona 1-0 Nottingham Forest
• Nottingham Forest 2-1 Bayer Leverkusen
• Nottingham Forest 2-0 Brest

Sunderland

• York City 1-5 Sunderland
• Liverpool 4-2 Sunderland
• Sunderland 0-1 Leeds
• Sunderland 1-0 Wrexham
• Lens 4-1 Sunderland
• Lens 0-2 Sunderland
• Sunderland 2-1 Rennes

Tottenham Hotspur

• Tottenham 1-0 MK Dons
• Auckland FC 0-2 Tottenham
• Tottenham 1-1 Sydney FC
• Chelsea 1-2 Tottenham
• Tottenham 1-1 Getafe
• Tottenham 3-0 Hoffenheim
• Tottenham 2-2 Hoffenheim

The new Premier League season is scheduled to begin on Friday, August 21, with defending champions Arsenal hosting newly promoted Coventry City.