Michael Owen has suggested that Arsenal’s defensive wall actually worked against them in their 1–0 defeat to Liverpool. The former striker argued that a wall is not always necessary when defending free-kicks from long distances.
Liverpool secured the win in the Premier League’s third round thanks to a stunning direct free-kick from Dominik Szoboszlai. Speaking after the game, Owen explained why Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya was left helpless.
“I think the wall blocked Raya’s view. From that distance, if the goalkeeper is standing centrally without a wall, he probably doesn’t even need to dive – he could simply adjust and collect the ball,” Owen said.
According to him, the wall became an obstacle. By obscuring Raya’s sightline, it gave Szoboszlai the freedom to choose an angle, effectively forcing the goalkeeper to commit to one side of the goal.
Owen clarified that walls are still crucial when defending close-range free-kicks, usually from around 20 yards (18.2 meters). However, once the distance extends beyond 32 yards (29.2 meters), he believes walls can actually hinder the keeper instead of helping.
“In this case, Raya couldn’t pick up the ball’s flight until it had cleared the wall, making it seem like a shot from much closer – around 22 yards,” Owen concluded.
