Premier League time-wasting kings exposed after Eddie Howe’s complaints about Arsenal, with Newcastle being one of the worst culprits
- Newcastle manager Eddie Howe accuses Arsenal of time-wasting despite his own team’s record
- Opta analysis shows Newcastle as one of the worst offenders for time-wasting in the Premier League
- Brentford crowned time-wasting kings, while Liverpool are the most prompt in restarting play
The Premier League’s time-wasting kings have been revealed after Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe accused Arsenal of wasting time during their recent 2-0 win at St. James’ Park with no hint of irony after his own side’s performance at The Emirates earlier in the season.
As a result of Howe’s comments, Henry Winter (among others), writing in The Times, explained that he also has serious problems with time-wasting.
Funnily enough, he didn’t have any such issue in January when Newcastle wasted even more time at The Emirates. That, Winter wrote, was a ‘masterclass’.
In response to the accusation, Opta analysed the numbers to determine which teams are the real culprits when it comes to slowing play down.
Newcastle themselves turn out to be one of the worst offenders, having the ball in play for the least amount of time on average across all 20 sides.
They also have the longest average delay before taking goal kicks, clocking in at 36.8 seconds, while Everton are next with an average of 33.1 seconds.
Arsenal, the team Howe criticised, sit mid-table in the statistics with 55.2% of their match minutes having the ball in play.
Manchester City, on the other hand, lead the league in this respect, keeping the ball in play for 61.8% of their match minutes this season.
Average delay before goal kicks in the Premier League ⏱️
◾️ Newcastle – 36.8 seconds
◾️ Everton – 33.1 seconds
◾️ Brentford – 32.9 seconds
◾️ Bournemouth – 32.7 seconds
◾️ Crystal Palace – 32.7 seconds
◾️ Chelsea – 31.8 seconds pic.twitter.com/qb4D9KpSIY— Football Daily (@footballdaily) May 8, 2023
When it comes to the average delay time before restarting play from any event, Brentford take the crown as the time-wasting kings, averaging 31.4 seconds.
Newcastle rank second with an average of 29.2 seconds. Liverpool are the most prompt, taking only 23.3 seconds on average before restarting play.
These findings suggest that there is no direct correlation between time-wasting tactics and success in the Premier League, with a mix of struggling and thriving clubs found at both ends of the table.
Following Arsenal’s 2-0 victory at St. James’ Park, one supporter said: “They [Newcastle] are one of the worst teams to play against and for them to get a taste of their own medicine is glorious.”
Another fan, after viewing the statistics, chimed in: “Don’t wanna hear the word ‘time wasting’ from a Newcastle player, manager or fan ever again.”
Eddie Howe irony failure after Arsenal time-wasting complaints
Arsenal kept their Premier League title aspirations alive with a hard-fought victory over Newcastle United, employing clever game management to slow down play and secure the win.
However, after the match, Newcastle manager Eddie Howe expressed his frustration over the Gunners’ time-wasting tactics, seemingly forgetting his own team’s record in this area.
“They managed the game well from their perspective,” admitted Howe. “They slowed it down, lots of breaks in play, frustrating for us. Naturally, we wanted the ball in play more, especially when you’re chasing the game. We can’t control that. That’s the referee’s job.”
It’s somewhat ironic that Howe should complain about such tactics when his team has been widely acknowledged as one of the worst culprits in the Premier League for time-wasting as we’ve just seen.
When comparing the two Arsenal vs Newcastle encounters this season, the ball was in play for three minutes longer at St. James’ Park than during the Magpies’ visit to the Emirates Stadium in January.
Furthermore, Arsenal were at least defending a lead, rather than attempting to grind out a goalless draw like Newcastle did earlier in the season.
Howe’s frustration at Arsenal’s time-wasting tactics is a curious case of the pot calling the kettle black.
But for Arsenal fans, it’s a satisfying reminder that their team can employ the same tactics when needed and further highlights the need for referees to clamp down on such behaviour across the league.