Arsenal’s clash with north London rivals Tottenham on Sunday has been postponed Premier League The finished Gunners’ request to cancel the fixtures was accepted. Mikel Arteta’s side made the request on Friday after COVID-19, injury, suspension and the loss of several players in the African Cup of Nations. Martin Odegaard missed the first leg of Thursday’s League Cup semi-final draw in Liverpool due to Covid, while Emil Smith Rowe and Takehiro Tomiyasu were ruled out with injury. Cedric Soares was shut out early at Anfield, also knocked out by Bukayo Saka as Granite Zaka’s first-half red card further lowered Arteta’s rank.
As if that wasn’t enough, Thomas Partey, Mohamed Alleny, Nicolas Pepe and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang are all away in the Africa Cup of Nations.
Tottenham were surprised at Arsenal’s request as they believed the clubs had the same number of coronavirus cases.
But on Saturday the Premier League confirmed that the second meeting of the season’s bitter rivals would be rescheduled.
A Premier League statement said: “Following the request of Arsenal, the Premier League Board met today and regretfully agreed to postpone the club’s match against Tottenham Hotspur, which will take place on Sunday 16 January at 16:30 Will be played on GMT.”
With Arsenal falling short of the required number of players available for the match (13 outfield players and one goalkeeper), the board accepted the club’s application.
The decision is a result of a combination of COVID-19, existing and recent injuries and players on international duty in the Africa Cup of Nations. If the COVID-19 infection is a factor in their request, all clubs are able to apply for a postponement.”
An Arsenal statement said: “We are disappointed to announce that Sunday’s north London derby at Tottenham Hotspur has been postponed.
“We know how much this match means to our fans around the world, but the Premier League has decided to postpone the match, as many players in our squad are currently suffering from COVID-19, current and recent injuries. are unavailable as a result. Apart from players with their countries in AFCON.”
Burnley’s Premier League match against Leicester was postponed on Saturday as the Clarets were left with insufficient players to complete the fixture.
A total of 21 top-flight matches have been postponed since December at least because of the virus.
“The league apologizes for the inconvenience and disruption caused to supporters who may have attended or watched games – we are fully aware that the postponement disappoints clubs and fans,” the Premier League statement said.
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“The league aims to provide as much clarity as possible, but unfortunately postponements sometimes have to be done at short notice, as safety is our priority. Where possible, the league will try to keep supporters updated if the game is at risk.
“The Premier League’s postponement rules are designed to protect the well-being of players and staff while maintaining the sporting integrity of the competition.”
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