A new study has dubbed Everton as the Premier League's 'vampire killers' as many of their rivals drain the clock
Everton have been dubbed the Premier League's 'vampire killers' with many of their rivals indulging in football's dark arts
Everton have been dubbed the Premier League's 'vampire killers' with many of their rivals indulging in football's dark arts
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As we move into Halloween next week, Everton have been dubbed the Premier League’s “vampire killers” by a new study. The statement reads: “For football fans, watching your opponent drain the clock when your team is chasing the game is one of the scariest sights in the sport.
“Now, this Halloween, a new study has revealed which clubs are masters of the dark art of draining minutes and time-wasting in the Premier League season.
“The full research carried out by 247Bet compared all 20 Premier League clubs competing in 2025/26 against the same five time-draining factors, which together gave each club a score out of 100.
“These factors included the number of passes back to the goalkeeper, the percentage of non-progressive passes, the percentage of match-time spent with the ball out of play, the number of defensive third touches, and the accumulative number of added minutes that have been achieved so far this season.”
Key findings included: “Chelsea are this season’s vampires of the Premier League, with a total time-draining score of 88.9 out of 100. However, if Chelsea are this season’s vampires, then Everton are the vampire killers, with the Toffees draining the least amount of time from the clock in 2025/26.”
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The study used the following five factors to determine this season’s biggest time-wasters.
The score attributed to each factor are as follows: The percentage of non-progressive passes, sourced via FBRef (a football statistics and history database), and scored out of 30; the percentage of match-time spent with the ball out of play, sourced via Opta, and scored out of 30; the number of passes back to the goalkeeper, sourced via FBRef, and scored out of 10; the number of defensive third touches, sourced via FBRef, and scored out of 10; the accumulative number of added minutes, sourced via Fotmob, and scored out of 20.
Summarising the findings, 247Bet say: “Chelsea have been crowned this season’s biggest time wasters, with a total score of 88.9 out of 100. Enzo Maresca’s side has mastered the dark art of draining the clock by completing 237 passes back to the goalkeeper, 87.6% of all passes being non-attacking, and keeping the ball out of play for 47.4% of game time. “Their London rivals, Arsenal may have developed a reputation for time wasting under Mikel Arteta, but the Gunners are only the eighth-most culpable time wasters in 2025/26, with a score of 61.7. Arsenal’s 1,382 touches in their own defensive third and keeping the ball out of play for 44% of game time are surprisingly some of the lowest figures in the league for these factors. “In fact, Liverpool ranked second in the league for time wasting in 2025/26, with a score of 79.2. The Reds have added more minutes to the clock than any other club in the Premier League this season, with a staggering 59 minutes of added time in their first seven games. Meanwhile, a shocking 87.3 of Liverpool’s passes have been non-attacking.
The calculations from a study that compared time wasting among Premier League clubs
The calculations from a study that compared time wasting among Premier League clubs
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“Brighton have made time wasting a big part of their tactics this season, as the Seagulls ranked third with a score of 74.3. Aston Villa have also adopted some time-wasting methods in 2025/26, as the Villains ranked fourth with a score of 65.5. “Newcastle completed the top five for time wasting, with a score of 63.8. Eddie Howe’s side have kept the ball out of play for 47.7% of game time so far this season, which is more than any other Premier League side. “Next up, both Manchester United and Manchester City were found to have a similar reputation for time wasting, although the Red Devils were scored slightly higher than their city rivals. The data revealed that Ruben Amorim’s side was more likely to keep the ball out of play, while Pep Guardiola tells his team to take more touches in the defensive third. “At the opposite end of the table, Everton are the least likely to waste time this season, with a low score of 46.1 out of 100. The Toffees have the highest percentage of attacking passes in the Premier League so far and have kept the ball in play for 46.4% of game time.”