Arteta mocks new Premier League rule: "We'll play with hats on"

What is it?

Arsenal face an unfamiliar challenge as the 2026-2027 Premier League season gets under way. A new rule has come into effect banning players from using towels to dry the ball before taking throw-ins, and it has angered Mikel Arteta, given the London club's reliance on long throws as a tactical weapon.

Arteta voiced his objection ahead of the Community Shield clash between Arsenal and Manchester City, branding the ban "big and annoying" before turning to sarcasm. He suggested his players might take to the pitch wearing caps to find a way to dry their hands and the ball.

The Spaniard's irritation makes sense. Arsenal leaned heavily on throw-ins last season, drawing on several players capable of delivering long throws, chief among them Ben White, Declan Rice and Riccardo Calafiori. The aim was simple: put the ball into dangerous areas and let their teammates win it in the air.

"Not being able to use towels is genuinely a big and annoying matter," Arteta said, adding: "Let's see what we do and how we deal with the new developments. Perhaps we will play wearing caps."

Until now, the use of towels rested on a prior agreement between the two teams before matches. The Premier League have moved to ban them entirely, ending a long-running dispute over how much they influence the taking of throw-ins.

The new rule recalls an incident last season during Arsenal's clash with Newcastle United. Calafiori tried to dry the ball with a towel placed near the Newcastle goal, only for referee Jarred Gillett to step in quickly and remove it, the two teams having failed to agree on its use before kick-off.

Towels have divided the Premier League before. Nottingham Forest manager Sean Dyche had criticised their use, arguing they handed some teams an unfair advantage at throw-ins.