The Premier League have announced new rules relating to time-wasting in matches, and Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez will be particularly unhappy at the changes.
World Cup rules on added time are set to be implemented, which will add extra time on at the end of each match relating to timewasting during the 90 minutes.
Martinez, who won the World Cup with Argentina, received seven cards for timewasting in the Premier League last season, and his antics during breaks in play have been a common theme during his time at Villa.
Sky Sports reporter Rob Dorsett has now pinpointed Martinez as a player who may have to rethink his time-wasting tactics during matches next season.
“Perhaps the worst offender for time-wasting last season, certainly statistically was, Emi Martinez at Aston Villa. Seven yellow cards he got for timewasting last season, and traditionally, we’ve talked about kicking the ball away as the classic form of timewasting,” he stated.
“Referees are now going to crack down on what he’s been doing. Referees are going to crack down on timewasting, and we’re going to see a lot more yellow cards as a result of it.”
How will Martinez be affected?
The 30-year-old had seemingly mastered the art of running the clock down, but he will now have to rethink his methods. His speciality involved moving the ball after he had initially set it down for a goal kick, whilst his actions in between penalties at the World Cup attracted both praise and criticism.
The goalkeeper will now have to be more careful when taking goal kicks and pick and choose when to attempt to run the clock down slowly. Any extra time he takes will now be added on at the end, and if he is attempting to protect a lead, then this will come as an annoyance to his teammates.
His antics meant he picked up seven yellows, but five of these came in victories, one in a draw and one against former club Arsenal, with his caution coming with the scores at 2-2.
Martinez’s tactics did therefore prove to be somewhat useful in protecting leads, and it will be interesting to see whether Unai Emery will encourage him to cut down on his time-wasting.
