The average Premier League match this season lasts 100 minutes and 36 seconds, but the ball is in play for only 54.7% of that time, the lowest proportion in a decade. Delays—ranging from corners and free-kicks to throw-ins and goal-kicks—now account for 45 minutes and 35 seconds per game, roughly the length of an episode of Countdown.
This season's ball-in-play average stands at 55 minutes per game, down from 58 minutes and 11 seconds last season and 56 minutes 59 seconds in 2024-25. The drop comes despite an increase in stoppage time, with matches lasting 51 seconds longer on average than last term. Fans are effectively waiting nearly three extra minutes per game for play to resume.
Leeds United offer the most value for time, averaging 56 minutes and 48 seconds of ball-in-play (57.5% of total minutes). At the other end, Newcastle United have the lowest proportion at 52.3% (53 minutes and 9 seconds), followed closely by Chelsea (52.6%) and Manchester United (52.7%). Newcastle’s 3-2 defeat to Liverpool saw the ball in play for just 42% of the match—45 minutes and 55 seconds of a 109-minute, 24-second contest—despite five goals. The game featured 31 fouls and 27 minutes of delays, with 13 minutes and 43 seconds of second-half stoppage time, the highest this season.
Brighton’s 3-1 win at Chelsea also saw minimal action, with the ball in play for only 44.4% of the match (46 minutes and 44 seconds). In contrast, Leeds’ 3-1 victory at Wolves recorded the highest ball-in-play percentage this season at 63.4%.
Set-piece taking continues to eat up time. Sunderland spend nearly 50 seconds per corner, the league’s slowest. Arsenal, who have won a league-high 53 corners this season, have spent a total of 40 minutes and 6 seconds taking them—at least 11 minutes more than any other team. In their recent meeting with Newcastle, 19 corners led to 12 minutes and 14 seconds of delays, the most in a single match this term.
