Arsenal master the dark arts: How they wasted almost 17 minutes at Newcastle

Arsenal and Newcastle United's Premier League meetings this season have featured a pleasing amount of needle, with both managers criticising each other's time-wasting tactics.

Mikel Arteta felt Newcastle were allowed to spoil a goalless draw at the Emirates in January, while Eddie Howe highlighted Arsenal's slow restarts in the visitors' 2-0 win at St James' Park on Sunday.

Since officials at the Qatar World Cup started adding significant periods of stoppage time, there has been increased focus on the subject of ball-in-play time.

With a ball in-play time of 51 minutes and nine seconds, Arsenal's win at Newcastle was not especially egregious, ranking as 69th lowest ball-in-play total in a Premier League game this season. The average ball-in-play time in the Premier League this season is 54 minutes and 44 seconds.

Nevertheless, Arsenal certainly engaged in some dark arts to 'manage' the game and this is how they did it.

3 minutes

Newcastle almost made a flying start with Jacob Murphy hitting the post and Joe Willock seeing a shot blocked in the first few minutes.

Goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale understandably looked to settle things down with his first goal kick, with just shy of 32 seconds passing between the ball going out of play and Ramsdale taking his kick.

This strategy was also a feature of Arsenal's game at Anfield last month, when Ramsdale went down with a mysterious eye injury after Andy Robertson missed Liverpool's first big chance of the game. It appears an attempt to stop waves of attacks building in hostile atmospheres.

Time wasted: 32 seconds

5 minutes

Ramsdale's second goal kick of the game, and once again he takes his time before kicking the ball long. Hardly the worst offence in the world, and at this early stage in the game the crowd are yet to get restless.

Time wasted: 24 seconds

6 minutes

Arsenal play around Newcastle's press adeptly and find Bukayo Saka, who is fouled just short of the halfway line.

Ben White stands over the free-kick and deliberates, with more than 30 seconds passing between the whistle being blown and White taking the free-kick. Boos and whistles follow from the home crowd.

Moments later, Newcastle have a penalty overturned following an on-pitch Var review which leads to the longest stoppage of the first half.

Time wasted: 37 seconds.

19 minutes

Five minutes after Martin Odegaard scores the game's opening goal, Jorginho receives an arm in the back from Joelinton. A foul no doubt, but Arsenal are in no hurry to restart the game as they look to consolidate their lead.

Time wasted: 52 seconds

22 minutes

Arsenal have a throw-in, and Murphy throws the ball in Granit Xhaka's direction who steps over the ball and lets it run away from him. Murphy then throws the ball to Zinchenko who takes the throw-in. Moments later, Odegaard and Gabriel Jesus smother Fabian Schar and prevent a quick free-kick.

Time wasted: 23 seconds

38 minutes

Jorginho takes the ball in a tight spot for Arsenal and is fouled by Joelinton. Zinchenko takes the free-kick at the second attempt, after running up to the ball and faking the first time. By now, there is palpable agitation from the home fans.

Time wasted: 20 seconds

40 minutes

Jesus is fouled in front of Arteta, which gives his manager the opportunity to issue an instruction or two. Jorginho looks like he is going to take the free-kick, but walks past the ball and leaves for White to take. More whistling from the home fans

Time wasted: 38 seconds

48 minutes

In the third of five additional minutes before half time, Xhaka goes down holding his groin which prompts an argument with Newcastle striker Callum Wilson. That dispute escalates into a fracas involving both sets of players, and Newcastle kick the ball out for a throw rather than giving the ball back to Arsenal. By the time play resumes the half is over.

Time wasted: 1 minute 40 seconds

Half-time

By our calculations, Arsenal contributed to almost six-and-a-half minutes being wasted in the first half. This total does not include the Var review, injury stoppages for Schar, Saka, and Xhaka (when he was caught on the top of the foot) or any of the stoppages that are deemed par for the course in a football match.

The referee blew his whistle after 51 minutes and 30 seconds, which is clearly well short of 45 minutes ball-in-play time.

52 minutes

Not for the first time in the game, Jorginho is the player who buys Arsenal a foul before White stands over the free-kick and looks to quell any potential Newcastle comeback.

Time wasted: 33 seconds

58 minutes

Xhaka stays down after a goal-saving block to deny Newcastle's Joe Willock.

Time wasted: 52 seconds

60 minutes

Arsenal make their first substitution with Kieran Tierney replacing Zinchenko, all the while Jorginho is down after a foul by Bruno Guimaraes. Jorginho delays taking the free-kick and walks over it, and more than a minute has passed by the time play resumes. Note Newcastle's Joelinton with his arm up, complaining to referee Chris Kavanagh.

Time wasted: 1 minute 11 seconds

67 minutes

Schar charges into Jesus' cheek with his left shoulder and is fortunate not to escape without a card. Xhaka takes exception to the challenge by his Switzerland team-mate and gets involved in some more verbals. The bitty episode suits Arsenal far more than Newcastle.

Time wasted: 1 minute 10 seconds

68 minutes

Tierney takes time over throw-in deep in the Newcastle half and the St James' Park crowd make their frustration known.

Time wasted: 23 seconds wasted.

73 minutes

Shortly after Arsenal have doubled their lead, Saka is caught late by Dan Burn who is rightly booked. Kiwior is in no hurry to take the free-kick after Saka puts his boot back on.

Time wasted: 1 minute 11 seconds

80 minutes

Three minutes after a Newcastle double substitution, Arsenal make one of their own with Thomas Partey and Leandro Trossard coming on for Odegaard and Martinelli.

Time wasted: One minute

82 minutes

After a foul on Tierney, Gabriel deliberates over the free-kick and rolls the ball several yards forward.

Time wasted: 19 seconds

85 minutes

Ramsdale stays down after tangling with Almiron, before Jesus and Saka are replaced by Reiss Nelson and Eddie Nketiah. Another chunk of time passes without a ball being kicked.

Time wasted: 1 minute 49 seconds

90 minutes plus stoppage time

Something of a masterclass from Arsenal and Ramsdale in running the clock down.

After Schar's ambitious shot flies over the bar, Ramsdale takes 36 seconds to take a goal kick, and then another 28 seconds from another goal kick shortly after.

In the 92nd minute, Ramsdale claims a Miguel Almiron cross and lies on the ball, kicking it clear 22 seconds later.

In the 94th minute, Ramsdale catches a Newcastle corner and keeps the ball in his gloves for 11 seconds. Then Tierney wins a throw-in high up the pitch, and 22 more seconds ebb away.

In the dying embers, Schar and Nketiah are involved in some pushing at shoving after the Arsenal striker obstructed the ball near the corner flag. By the time play restarts, another 54 seconds have passed and Arsenal have the points in the bag.

Time wasted: 2 minutes 43 seconds out of the six minutes of added time

Full time

Arsenal managed to waste approximately 11 minutes and 20 seconds of time in the second-half, which added to their first-half tally brings the total to just shy of 17 minutes. Of course, the difference between time-wasting and a natural stoppage in a game is a subjective judgement.

Account for a Var check, two goals, some hefty challenges and five Newcastle substitutions and you can see how the 40 minutes of dead time elapsed. Newcastle will reproach themselves for the number of fouls they conceded and the physical confrontations that helped the clock round down, but Arsenal will not care a jot.