Premier League viewers have claimed that Eberechi Eze’s penalty against Nottingham Forest was “illegal” and should have been disallowed during Crystal Palace’s 1-1 draw with the Tricky Trees on Monday night. The result dealt a blow to Nuno Espirito Santo’s side’s pursuit of Champions League football next season, with Forest slipping to sixth place following the weekend’s drama.
Murillo’s goal, just four minutes after Palace’s main creative force had opened the scoring, wasn’t enough for Forest to claim all three points at Selhurst Park. With Chelsea and Newcastle now in pole position to secure qualification for Europe’s top competition next season, the East Midlands club can ill-afford to drop any more points in their remaining three fixtures – against Leicester City, West Ham, and a high-stakes final-day clash with the Blues.
However, fans from both sides – as well as neutrals – were quick to criticise Eze’s unorthodox penalty technique, joking that it should have been disallowed purely for how strange and awkward it looked. Others, meanwhile, believe they’ve found legitimate grounds for why the goal shouldn’t have stood.
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Eberechi Eze’s Penalty Run-Up Mocked by Viewers
The Englishman was lucky to get away with his unnecessarily fancy run-up
Gone are the days when a penalty was a golden ticket to scoring a goal. These days, players seem to try every trick in the book to make the 12-yard attempt look flashier and more skilful than it needs to be. Eze is known for his graceful, showman-like style on the pitch – but his penalty on Monday night bordered on the ridiculous. Watch his opener below (around 1:58):
He got away with his fancy, stop-start technique this time, but his decision to be so showy certainly sparked debate on social media. And while much of the criticism pointed at him was in jest, some fans genuinely started to question whether the goal should have counted after they pointed out the 26-year-old may have fully stopped and even taken a step back.
“No way that Eze penalty is legal. He takes a backward step in his run-up. Shouldn’t have counted that,” one X user wrote, while a second continued: “I know we all wanted that penalty, but I’m not sure how Eze is allowed to take them like that. He does just stop, he actually steps backwards also. It’s an illegal penalty isn’t it?”
According to Premier League and IFAB (International Football Association Board) rules, a player taking a penalty is allowed to use a stutter or feint during the run-up, but they must not stop completely once the run-up is in motion.
The final movement before striking the ball must be continuous, and excessive deception after completing the run-up – such as pausing right before the kick – is not allowed and could result in an indirect free kick to the defending team.
