PREM’S KEEPER RULE AT PENS ANNOYS PEP

PEP GUARDIOLA admits he’s baffled why Premier League referees don’t penalise goalkeepers for jumping forward at penalty kicks – but Champions League officials do.

The Manchester City boss says he was told after a pre-season meeting with Professional Game Match Officials – who run Premier League games – that officials wouldn’t be clamping down on keeper encroachment.

Instead, they would apply “common sense” and leave it to assistant linesmen with the issue not under VAR guidelines.

But he claims that can’t be happening after penalty incidents against Sheffield Utd and Tottenham, when his stars had spot-kicks saved by keepers off their line.

He said: “In the Champions League it would be disallowed but here in England there is a new rule. The referees said they don’t care about this rule and that the keepers can go forward and they will not disallow it. In one country it is one way and in another country another way. So now we just have to improve and shoot better – that’s what they have to do.”

Sunday People Sport understands that Premier League referees were urged to show “common sense” after controversy during the women’s World Cup last year.

A number of missed penalties were retaken and goalkeepers cautioned for coming off their line too early.

Rather than refer incidents to the VAR, it has been left to assistant referees to look for any infringement.

Guardiola feels the guidelines are typical of the mess football has brought on itself since new technology was introduced.

He added: “We believed VAR would help because a machine would not make any mistakes. But it’s not the machine making mistakes. It is the person who uses the machine.

“It’s not clear over handball or penalties, where a goalkeeper has to be on the line.”