Sunday’s north London derby has been postponed after the
Premier League agreed to a request from Arsenal, whose squad has been severely
hit by injuries and a range of other problems, that the match be called off.
Arsenal would have been without more than 14 first-team
players for their visit to Spurs and requested the postponement because they
felt they would be unable to meet the league’s criteria for fulfilling a
fixture. Clubs can make an application if they do not have 13 outfielders and a
goalkeeper available and, after Arsenal announced their intention on Friday
night, the decision to postpone was confirmed on Saturday afternoon.
It is the 20th in a rash of top-flight postponements in
recent weeks that have been spurred by the Coronavirus outbreak. Arsenal’s only
known current Covid-19 case is Martin Ødegaard but the league’s rules allow
other factors to come into play. When Leicester’s match at Everton, scheduled
for 11 January, was called off the Premier League cited “Covid-19 cases,
injuries and players on international duty at the Africa Cup of Nations” as the
contributing factors.
Arsenal are thought to be missing at least eight players
with injury and have four more representing their countries in Cameroon. Granit
Xhaka would also have been absent through suspension, but that is understood
not to have been relevant to this case.
In a statement, the Premier League said: “Following a
request from Arsenal FC, the Premier League Board met today and regrettably
agreed to postpone the club’s away fixture against Tottenham Hotspur, due to be
played at 4.30pm on Sunday 16 January.
“With Arsenal having fewer than 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 at the Africa Cup of Nations. All clubs are able to apply
for a postponement if Covid-19 infections are a factor in their request.
“The League apologises for the inconvenience and disruption
caused to supporters who would have attended or watched the game – we are fully
aware that postponements disappoint clubs and fans. The League aims to provide
as much clarity as possible, but unfortunately postponements sometimes have to
be made at short notice, as safety is our priority. Where possible, the League
will endeavour to keep supporters updated if games become at risk.”
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