10 minutes were added to the first half of the Newcastle match and 11 to the Tottenham game. And there will be many more such instances now.
Many remember that during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, referees added a lot of time to both the first and second halves. Not just one or four minutes, as it used to be, but several times more. A similar situation is now happening in England.
In the Super Cup match between Arsenal and City, eight minutes were added to the second half, and the Londoners scored in the 90+11th minute. Jokes appeared on social media that the game would have lasted until Arsenal equalized the score.
In the 1st round of the Premier League on Friday and Saturday, a minimum of five minutes was added to the second half. However, in the first half, both one and ten minutes were compensated.
Burnley - ManCity - 0:3
First half - 5 minutes, second half - 6 minutes.
Arsenal - Nottingham Forest - 2:1
First half - 3 minutes, second half - 7 minutes.
Brighton - Luton - 4:1
First half - 1 minute, second half - 7 minutes.
Sheffield - Crystal Palace - 0:1
First half - 1 minute, second half - 5 minutes.
Bournemouth - West Ham - 1:1
First half - 1 minute, second half - 6 minutes.
Everton - Fulham - 0:1
First half - 1 minute, second half - 6 minutes.
Newcastle - Aston Villa - 5:1
First half - 10 minutes, second half - 5 minutes.
On Sunday, in the first match, they surpassed all the previous games of the round. In the match between Brentford and Tottenham, 11 minutes were added to the first half.
It should be noted that during the first 45 minutes, the teams scored three goals, the referee went to check VAR twice, and Romero had to be substituted. Although 11 minutes may seem like a lot, especially considering all the circumstances, only four minutes were added in the second half, which passed without any goals. In the match between Chelsea and Liverpool, eight minutes were added to the first half and five to the second.
In fact, even before the start of the season, it was officially announced that more minutes would be added. Howard Webb, who oversees referees in the Premier League, spoke about this in an interview with ESPN:
«The actual playing time in our sport has significantly decreased. Last season, it was 48 minutes in the Second League, 50 minutes in the First League, 52 minutes in the Championship, and 54 minutes in the Premier League. We ask referees to indicate the amount of time that has passed from the moment of the goal to the resumption of play. When substitutions occur, we also monitor how much time is spent on that rather than automatically adding 30 seconds. Outrage? Everything will calm down over time. Players will understand that they will be caught if they waste time unnecessarily», - Webb explained.
15.08.2023