Prem fans demand ‘World Cup injury time’ after Arsenal vs Newcastle time-wasting
There's been calls for the Premier League to adopt the World Cup's added-time procedure after Arsenal's draw with Newcastle was blighted by breaks in play.
It was a feisty contest at the Emirates on Tuesday (January 3) night as the league leading Gunners and the third-placed Magpies held each other to a stalemate. Referee Andy Madley was forced to repeatedly blow his whistle and brandished a total of nine yellow cards.
There was only two minutes added on at the end of the first 45 and just the five in the second half – despite the ball only being in play for 51 minutes and 23 seconds, according to Opta, which is the 34th lowest of all Prem games this season.
READ MORE: Alan Shearer rages at Arsenal vs Newcastle referee after he 'loses control of game'
Arsenal fans felt particularly aggrieved and led the calls for change to the system used in Qatar, where there was abnormally long additional time to combat time-wasting.
One Gooner tweeted: "The one thing I do think this game proves beyond doubt is the World Cup system of injury time needs to happen in the PL. Seven minutes total in that game with the amount of cards and time-wasting is a disgrace."
Would you like to see the change implemented? Let us know in the comments section below
A second posted: "FIFA have done so many bad decisions but them deciding to introduce the injury time for time wasting was a brilliant idea at the World Cup. Too many wasting of time all over games and reduce the football played big time."
"If that was at the World Cup there would be 15 minutes injury time. How there was only five when Newcastle had a player sitting down at every stoppage is beyond me," commented a third.
One viewer argued: "I don’t know how much I need to stress this, but the injury time system used at the World Cup is just much better for the game overall."
And another asked: "World Cup referees clearly stopped their watch every time the ball was not in play, including for injuries, substitutions and time wasting. So why is it that we are not seeing the same approach across football?"
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