Ex-PGMOL chief demands radical change as Mikel Arteta fumes on sidelines vs Man City
Mikel Arteta was understandably frustrated after Pep Guardiola’s Man City were accused of time-wasting against Arsenal.
That is the opinion of former PGMOL chief and ex-FIFA official, Keith Hackett, who exclusively told Football Insider that Premier League games continue to prove the need for independent timekeepers.
Jack Grealish was furious with officials when only three minutes were added on to Liverpool‘s win over Everton, and similar complaints were made at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, 21 September.
The Arsenal boss spent much of the game voicing his discontent at City’s time-wasting tactics, with Gianluigi Donnarumma eventually picking up a yellow card for his role in the frustrations.
Arsenal vs Man City provides plenty of controversy
Bernardo Silva and Leandro Trossard avoided sanctions after a first-half bust-up, though many home fans were expecting a second yellow for the former following his earlier challenge on Gabriel Magalhaes.
The duo were seen throwing the ball at each other before referee Stuart Attwell jumped in, who was then surrounded by a number of other stars, looking to argue their case in the situation.
Gabriel was also warned over his antics, but that was the least of Arteta’s worries as the Citizens continued to waste time after Erling Haaland scored an earlier opener at the Emirates.
Of course, the Gunners had the last laugh as Gabriel Martinelli scored in the third minute of seven minutes of added time, but that number could have been even bigger had officials not “guessed”.
Keith Hackett wants Howard Webb to implement a timekeeper
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the former referee said: “Liverpool vs Everton only had three extra minutes, and now this. I’ve been saying for years that we need an independent timekeeper because referees just guess.
“We’re only getting 52 minutes of playing time on average. Where’s the extra 10, 11, 12 minutes that we were getting before? It’s all gone into the mist. You get more goals scored in that time because of the fatigue of players.”
Hackett is a huge advocate for an independent time-keeper, suggesting that the current system of added time continues to fail, and Howard Webb might need to listen to make some much-needed improvements.