Gary Neville, Sky Sports presenter ahead of the Premier League match between Aston Villa and Sheffield United at Villa Park on December 22, 2023 in Birmingham, England. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)
Gary Neville has suggested a wild rule change that could have huge implications for the make-up of the Premier League table.
From VAR to five substitutions, the face of football has changed greatly in recent years. And just this summer, the English top flight introduced several tweaks aimed at improving the game in this country, including to the handball rule and encroachment during penalty situations.
But what Neville is suggesting would arguably top everything in recent memory.
Speaking alongside Jamie Carragher, Roy Keane and Ian Wright during the latest episode of The Overlap, the former Manchester United defender suggested adding a penalty shootout to the end of league matches with an extra point awarded to the winner.
“I’ve got the end of [drawn] league games, penalties for an extra point, so you get two points [if you win the shoot-out],” Neville told his co-hosts, who were debating potential rule changes that could improve football (via talkSPORT).
He added: “Make it exciting, every game, for a fan that comes.
“A kid goes to a game for the first time, it might be their only game of the season, sees a nil-nil draw or a 1-1. [If it goes to penalties] there’s a winner. At least there’s penalties.
“Kids love penalties. My girls love penalties at the end.”
How Neville’s rule change could change the Premier League table
Although unlikely to be brought in, there’s no doubt that Neville’s proposed rule change could potentially cause havoc to the Premier League table.
For example, Arsenal have already drawn twice this season against Brighton at home and Manchester City away. Had the Gunners won their hypothetical shootouts at the end of those games, they’d now sit joint-top of the table alongside Guardiola’s men, despite winning one game fewer.
Last season, there would have even been the potential for Liverpool to overhaul the nine-point gap between themselves and champions Man City with the Reds drawing 10 games.
In the outlandish scenario that Liverpool won each of their shootouts and City and Arsenal lost theirs, Jurgen Klopp could have left Anfield with one final piece of silverware.
That may be a stretch, but there have been plenty of title races down the years that have been decided by much finer margins, such as City beating Man Utd on goal difference in 2011/12 and twice pipping Liverpool to the post by a single point (2018/19, 2021/22).
The same also goes at the bottom of the table. Can you imagine a team drawing the final game of the season, knowing they must then win a penalty shootout to avoid relegation?
Top photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images
