Newcastle United have been accused of implementing game delaying tactics and timewasting throughout the season.
Although game management is something that is used by every team in the division, Newcastle have seemingly bore the brunt of these complaints.
And whilst Newcastle certainly don’t shy away from the ‘dark arts’ - are complaints about their tactics justified by the data? Or do the underlying numbers paint a different picture to what is actually going on?
To discover this here we have used data provided by OPTA, to take a look at the average time it takes each Premier League team to restart play from a goal-kick - just one way to judge the amount of time teams can ‘waste’ without the ball being in-play.
Do these figures surprise you? Follow us on our social media channels and let us know your thoughts there.
(note: data correct at time of writing)

9. Arsenal
According to OPTA, Arsenal take an average of 28.1 seconds to restart play from a goal kick. Photo: GLYN KIRK

10. Manchester United
According to OPTA, Manchester United take an average of 28.6 seconds to restart play from a goal kick. Photo: GLYN KIRK

11. Leeds United
According to OPTA, Leeds United take an average of 29.2 seconds to restart play from a goal kick. Photo: GLYN KIRK

12. West Ham
According to OPTA, West Ham take an average of 29.5 seconds to restart play from a goal kick. Photo: Laurence Griffiths

