Pundit backs Premier League rule change after Newcastle United latest
Frank McAvennie has backed calls for the Premier League to adopt the World Cup’s added-time procedure after Arsenal’s draw with Newcastle United.
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the former West Ham striker can’t understand why teams like Newcastle feel the need to time waste when they are good enough to keep hold of the ball.
According to Opta, as relayed by the Daily Star (4 January), the ball was only in play for 51 minutes and 23 seconds of the 0-0 draw on Tuesday (3 January).
Referee Andy Madley was forced to blow his whistle repeatedly making for a choppy game in which the official handed out nine yellow cards.
There were two minutes added on at the end of the first half and just five at the end of the 90.
By the end of the World Cup in Qatar, the average match length stood at 102 minutes, longer than the average at both the 2020 Euros and the 2018 World Cup.
Speaking to ESPN (17 November), chair of the Fifa referee committee Pierluigi Collina explained that the officials wanted to more better compensate for the time lost during matches for things like celebrations and time wasting.
When asked if the Premier League should consider adopting a similar approach to additional time, McAvennie told Football Insider: “I think so.
“If it is deliberate time wasting I do not know why people do it. Newcastle are good enough to keep the ball in play but I do not understand it.
“I would not imagine [Mikel] Arteta would be too happy about the time wasting because he is not too happy about anything at the moment.“
In other news, a pundit has suggested the real reason Martin Dubravka is back at Newcastle United.