article: At Turf Moor on Saturday, Burnley and West Brom played out a game in which the ball was in play for only 160 seconds more than it was out. Though these are early days, no Premier League match so far this season has seen less action. Two months ago, football's lawmakers revealed they were considering scrapping 45-minute halves, instead introducing two periods of 30 minutes, during which the clock would be stopped every time the ball went out. The proposal, the International Football Association Board said, was one of a number of options to deter football's "negativities". So would the rule have benefited supporters at Premier League matches so far this season? In a word, yes. Of 19 top-flight games across the opening two weekends of the campaign, the ball has been in play for more than an hour in only two of them. And no game has featured more than 61 minutes of play. Food for thought for fans and lawmakers alike. Here's the rest of the key Premier League statistics from the weekend. It was a landmark weekend for Wayne Rooney as he joined Alan Shearer in the 200 Premier League goals club with his strike against Manchester City on Monday. Here's how and when he has scored them. Rooney has some way to go to beat former Newcastle and Blackburn striker Shearer's record of 260 goals, although his goal at Etihad Stadium was his fifth in his past eight Premier League games. If he can keep that up then who knows... ... try, try again? Well doing just that doesn't appear to be yielding results in the Premier League so far this season. Harry Kane must have some sort of pox on him that prevents him from scoring in August, and it's hard not to sympathise as everything conspired to deny him a goal against Chelsea on Sunday. He's attempted 14 shots so far this term - no player has managed more - all without reward. "Obviously my decision not to read the British press was one of the best I ever made in my life." Judging by the above quote, Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp was perhaps getting a little tired of the criticism of his side's defending before they beat Crystal Palace 1-0 on Saturday. It was a welcome clean sheet after the Reds conceded three in their Premier League opener against Watford and then let in a late goal in the midweek 2-1 Champions League play-off win at Hoffenheim. But is their defence really a problem? On the face of it, the statistics suggest it is. No team has made more errors that have led to goals than Liverpool since 2012, while the Reds have not managed to concede fewer than 40 goals a season since 2009-10. A concern, no doubt, for a side with title ambitions. Only once in the past seven seasons has the Premier League been won by a side that has shipped 40 goals or more - Manchester United in 2012-13 (43). However, things appear to be going in the right direction under
summary: A 90-minute match but only 47 minutes and 40 seconds of actual football.