Arsenal has requested that the Premier League postpone their north London derby against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.
“The Premier League has received a postponement request from Arsenal FC relating to their away encounter against Tottenham Hotspur, slated to be played at 4.30pm on Sunday 16 January,” the Premier League said in a statement.
“The Premier League board will convene tomorrow to evaluate the proposal and communicate its judgment to both clubs and their fans.”
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta suggested on Thursday that the game against Tottenham Hotspur could be rescheduled.
Following extra COVID-19 cases and injury difficulties following Thursday’s goalless draw with Liverpool in the Carabao Cup semi-final first-leg at Anfield, Arteta’s team was reduced to only 12 fit outfield players.
Arsenal’s Cedric Soares and Bukayo Saka both suffered injuries during the encounter, while Granit Xhaka was sent off, leaving him out of Sunday’s derby.
Before the game, the team lost player Martin Odegaard to a positive COVID-19 case.
Teams must play their matchups if they have 14 players available — 13 outfields and a goalkeeper — according to Premier League rules.
Tottenham Furious Over Gunners Request for Match to Be Postponed
Tottenham is furious with Arsenal after the Gunners requested that the north London derby be postponed owing to a lack of players to complete the match.
The Gunners are poised to go to Tottenham Hotspur this weekend, but will be without a number of players due to coronavirus, injury, suspension, and the Africa Cup of Nations.
The Premier League will decide whether or not the match will take place on Saturday.
How does the Premier League decide whether or not a game should be postponed?
A certain number of positive tests does not have to be reached in order for a game to be postponed. Instead, the Premier League considers each issue individually before making a decision.
For example, a side could have six positive tests but the match would still go on as planned since the results were distributed among the players and backroom staff. However, a third party may certify three COVID-19 cases, all of which affect first-team goalkeepers, resulting in a postponement.
If the Premier League board believes there isn’t enough evidence to warrant a postponement based on the facts they’ve seen, the match will go on.
If the match is not completed for whatever reason, the Premier League board will meet to decide the game’s outcome.
How many Premier League games have been postponed this season?
If the game is rescheduled, it will be the 20th this season due to COVID-19 outbreaks, including Burnley’s match against Tottenham Hotspur, which was canceled due to severe snowfall.
