World Cup 2026: Page 113 - The Arsenal discussion forum and community: One more in the Tolly

World Cup 2026

invisibleman18

What does seem certain is that penalties under pressure are difficult. Even Messi has missed twice in this tournament (and is the only player to miss in 3 different World Cups) and Mbappe missed today.

Burnwinter

invisibleman18 What does seem certain is that penalties under pressure are difficult.

This is the interesting bit. One might intuitively expect more top players to be next to flawless at taking penalties, but few are.

The flaw of the stutter penalty is that the taker announces to the keeper, the world and themselves they doubt their own ability to score the penalty the ordinary way.

Klaus

awooga83 Like I said I've only ever seen two kinds of stutterers: 1) the kind who are not very good at penalties anyway, and 2) the ones who lose confidence in the moment that they can take it in a better way.

My guess is that if you're shit at penalties (and shooting in general) anyway it probably doesn't matter much, because you're unlikely to score in a shootout. Maybe it adds a small element of unpredictability to those guys? If you're Harry Kane or Mbappe you should be ashamed though.

RowJimmy

Klaus
This is absurdly overstated. Neymar for example was a very confident and effective penalty taker who used the stutter. Jorginho had an odd version of it that was very effective. The players use it to the extent that they think it works. Like everything, there are drawbacks and possible countermeasures.

USArsenal

Klaus My guess is that if you're shit at penalties (and shooting in general) anyway it probably doesn't matter much, because you're unlikely to score in a shootout

That COULD be true, but i have seen players who are generally good at shooting miss a penalty.. Eze in the CL final comes to mind.

Gurgen

Klaus you also don't need to stutter if you want to guess where the keeper is going. Roy Makaay did that all the time and changed direction at the last second, but never stuttered. Either way, for 99% of footballers it is best to stick to the Gyokeres school of penalty taking.

MistaT

RowJimmy yeah Jorginho had them locked, his approach style was clean

Mirth

Established penalty takers have - to an extent - earned the right to mix things up a bit.

When I saw Akanji take a stutter penalty I nearly threw something at the TV and I’m not even Swiss

Qwiss

Mirth I knew Akanji was missing that from his walk up. Looked terrified.

Panda Usually gives takers a 10% boost but goalkeepers are fighting back. Conversion rate at this world cup for stutters is just over 50% whereas non stuttered is 71%.

This is as I suspected. It was better but now that its the default its lost its edge.

Qwiss

Mirth I knew Akanji was missing that from his walk up. Looked terrified.

Panda Usually gives takers a 10% boost but goalkeepers are fighting back. Conversion rate at this world cup for stutters is just over 50% whereas non stuttered is 71%.

This is as I suspected. It was better but now that its the default its lost its edge.

Panda

https://www.skysports.com/football/news/12098/13559248/world-cup-2026-is-the-penalty-stutter-run-up-that-cost-germany-and-netherlands-at-the-end-of-its-lifespan

Usually gives takers a 10% boost but goalkeepers are fighting back. Conversion rate at this world cup for stutters is just over 50% whereas non stuttered is 71%.

Basically players need to be able to confidently execute a mix of pens to keep the goalies guessing instead of relying on 1 technique.

I noticed Gyok went the other way in CL final shootout when I think all his previous pens for us had been in the other corner and no surprises that GK dived the way of his previous pens.

Don Pacifico

There's so much data incorporated into football now, there's no way players are doing stutter penalties to showboat or whatever nonsense. That it hasn't worked recently in a few notable incidents doesn't mean players are stupid for doing it.

Don Pacifico

Burnwinter ...except so many of the top players are doing it, suggesting it's a conscious choice/tactic rather than a sign of low confidence.

awooga83

Don Pacifico yeah you could say if it was fringe players but top players many of whom are very good like Kane at penalties so I doubt it's they aren't confident in taking them.

MistaT

Imagine being terrified and then doing a stutter step.

If you're a nervous defender just lash it, or pick a bottom corner and hope the goal freezes or chooses wrong. No one will fault you for missing those.

Meatwad

MistaT
exactly. i don't even think about gabriel's miss. shit happens, but at least he kicked the ball like he hated it. now eze's ... fuck him for that

IBL

MistaT I remember players being told a couple of decades ago to hit it hard, low down the middle if they don't feel confident going for the corners....9 out of 10 times you score.

IBL

Spain ahead, poor from Curtouis.

Is Spain's Porro a lot better than Spurs?

Dom

IBL

No, he’s rubbish for Spain as well.

MistaT

Michael Oliver with a great block on Dani Olmo

😆

IBL

Good goal Belgium, got a game on our hands here

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