Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has revealed his team may need to alter their set-piece strategies following an influx of new refereeing laws across English football.
The new measures will take effect across English football this weekend, starting with Arsenal's Community Shield fixture against Manchester City on Sunday. The rules for the 2026-27 season feature an unprecedented number of changes designed primarily to accelerate game flow and reduce time-wasting.
Key changes include strict countdowns for goal-kicks and throw-ins, time-limited substitutions, and an explicit crackdown on physical holding during set-pieces. Teams will also be prohibited from using towels to dry footballs before long throw-ins.
Arsenal have drawn significant attention in recent seasons for their physical and highly structured dead-ball plays. Arteta, who took charge at Emirates Stadium in December 2019 after working as an assistant coach at Manchester City, has turned set-pieces into a core offensive weapon. The Gunners frequently utilize crowded penalty boxes and close physical contact on opposing goalkeepers, tactics that could face tighter officiating under the new guidelines.
Arteta confirmed that league officials and referees visited Arsenal during pre-season to clarify how the rules will be enforced on the pitch.
"We have had the Premier League and the referees there with us to explain and go through everything," Arteta said. "In pre-season we had the opportunity to see and experience some of them. We will have to see when the season starts and how this unfolds and what is more doable and what is less doable and what we need to adapt."
The Spaniard pointed specifically to the towel ban as an adjustment that will alter pre-match routines and tactical setups for several clubs.
"There are a few," Arteta said regarding the rules expected to make an impact. "Not being able to use the towels is already a big one in the Premier League. Let's see what we do. Maybe we will play with hats on!"
He added that the strict timing on restarts will alter the rhythm of matches. "Something else will come up for sure. We know that everybody is paying so much to the details, all the restarts and the countdowns, that will bring someone else, a different dynamic, different momentum. So I am very curious to see. They are really good rules because what we are doing is trying to promote more game time and the fluidity of the games which is better and hopefully that will work."
Big Six managerial turnover
Alongside the refereeing changes, Arteta faces a dramatically altered managerial landscape across the Premier League's Big Six clubs ahead of the new campaign. Five rival clubs have changed managers since the end of the previous season.
Enzo Maresca has taken over at Manchester City following the departure of Pep Guardiola. Maresca was replaced at Chelsea by former Bayer Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso. At Liverpool, Andoni Iraola succeeded Arne Slot. Manchester United named Michael Carrick as their permanent manager in May, while Tottenham Hotspur appointed Roberto De Zerbi towards the end of the 2025-26 season.
The Big Six designation traditionally refers to Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, and Tottenham Hotspur, the six clubs that have dominated English football's financial and competitive hierarchy in the modern era.
Arteta stated that the arrival of top-tier tactical thinkers across rival clubs will push Arsenal to raise their standards.
"We will have a lot of challengers looking at the squads, at the managers and at the clubs they are, but we know that," Arteta said. "We need to focus on ourselves and making sure that we maximise every resource we have to give ourselves the best chance. Then day by day it is going to be a long, long run."
He emphasized that the managerial standard in English football remains a constant test for head coaches. "Well, with a few managers as well and some new ones coming into the league that are exceptional," Arteta said. "We know this league is full of incredible managers. It is so challenging every week to prepare games against them. That will elevate our level and my level for sure and we will try to be better."
