Share
3rd September 2025
11:41am BST
Dominik Szoboszlai's stunning free-kick was the difference in Liverpool's 1-0 win over Arsenal at the weekend.
The Hungarian midfielder curled the ball beautifully over the opposition wall, beating David Raya from just over 30 yards out.
Speaking after the game, former Liverpool and England striker, Michael Owen, gave what many fans thought was a baffling take on the situation.
Known for his bizarre and often obvious statements, Owen said that having a wall for free-kick that are 30 yards out or more is a "hindrance".
On Premier League Productions, he explained: "At 32.2 yards, to be honest, if you put a ball there and say 'can you score from that far out?', then I'm probably saying no.
"Probably. I've said it before, I think the wall in this situation is a hinderance.
"I don't know but I think soon, when the ball is that far out at over 32 yards, if the goalkeeper stands in the middle and there is no wall, I bet he doesn't even have to dive, he could just shuffle and catch it.
"The wall in that situation is a hinderance. They don't get to see it, it gives somebody a target to hit it over.
"The goalkeeper always has to shuffle to one side of the goal or the other.
"If he just stands in the middle and there is nothing in front of him, what would happen is the opponents would start blocking and the opponents would make their own wall.
"That just shows you that the free-kick taker wants a wall there! It gives them a point of reference.
"Don't get be wrong, 20 yards out you do need a wall. But over 32 yards out, I think a wall is a hinderance to a goalkeeper."
However, much to the amusements of football fans, Owen's theory was disproven within a matter of hours during a Football League Trophy game between Swindon Town and Reading.
The latter team seemed to agree with the pundit, deciding against a wall for a long-range free, before they were undone by a fantastic strike from Will Wright that sailed into the top corner.
Explore more on these topics:
