Friday, March 29, 2024

Arsenal apply for North London derby postponement

Arsenal have applied to the Premier League to have Sunday’s North London derby postponed.

In a statement on the official website, they say:

We can confirm we have made an application to the Premier League for the postponement of Sunday’s north London derby against Tottenham Hotspur.

We have reluctantly taken this step but we have many players currently unavailable across our squad as a result of Covid, injuries and players away with their countries at AFCON.

We will provide more information as soon as it’s available.

The Gunners are without Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Thomas Partey, Nicolas Pepe and Mohamed Elneny who are on AFCON duty, while this week Martin Odegaard tested positive for Covid.

Cedric picked up an injury during the 0-0 draw with Liverpool, while there are ongoing fitness concerns around Emile Smith Rowe and Takehiro Tomiyasu.

After the game at Anfield, manager Mikel Arteta revealed there were likely to be more fitness issues, saying, “We had concerns already before the match against Liverpool, and after the game we had some more issues.”

The decision to apply for the postponement comes after the squad was assessed at London Colney this afternoon.

The Premier League say, “The Premier League Board will meet tomorrow to review the application and inform both clubs and their fans of its decision.”

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BigMike

We’ll probably get fined by the FA for making an application.

Yando

Goodstuff. How soon will Partey be available?

Daveo

Glad to see we’ve taken our ‘talks’ about a postponement to full-blown serious application now. No messing around with these guys.

ArsenesLongSufferingZipper

Ghana lost their opening match. Fingers crossed, they also lose the next and pack their bags. It’s not just about Partey. I’m Nigerian, so that’ll be perfectly fine with me. In football, Nigeria-Ghana is like Englang-Scotland, only 10 times fiercer. We never wish them well.

Cobwebs

Ghana must go, eh?

ArsenesLongSufferingZipper

Like in packing their “Ghana-must-go” bags? Pun definitely intended.🤣🤣🤣

GunnerX

Arsenal has tons of Indian & Nigerian fans! Good to hear!

Matt

We’ll lose on the ground that we only need to field 10 players.

Brady’s bunch

Or on the grounds we’re not Liverpool.

Teryima Adi

What’s good for the goose is good for the gander.

Corona X

What the hell is a gander, anyway?

Joe

Male goose.

A Different George

City in Newfoundland. Cold.

SarcasmB0T

Something you take.

ArsenesLongSufferingZipper

Tried to upvote this twice, but they wouldn’t let me.

Naked Cygan

But we will still beat sp*rs with 10 players. They are sh*t and for that reason the game will go ahead. That is the reason FA will give.

Fatgooner

Nice to see the club using a bit of cunning.

If we can get the game called off until next month we should be able to use our new signings.

I’m not holding my breath waiting for a yes, though.

Glenn

Partey, Pepe and *checks notes* Elneny will be Like New Signings

Non flying dutchman

Our youth team could beat that shower…. I’d just be glad that we then didn’t pick up any more injuries (/suspensions) ahead of the reverse fixture with Liverpool

kampala gooner

Thought having the game played later with the square in a match better state would be a more pleasant outcome but those cunts apparently ragging because of our application is turning out to be quite amusing.

Gooner7190

It’s cause they know their only chance of beating us is in our current state

Hindheader

Watch us get turned down

Esso

Spot on mate.

Futsboller

I’d welcome it; would just pour gas on the fire Arteta has lit within this team. We’d be raging on Sunday …

Zadok the Regular Priest

Can you pour gas?

Martin Haze

Yes. Especially when that “gas” he’s referring to is gasoline. You do it whenever you go to the petrol pump.

Paul

Gas(oline) => petrol

Joe

I personally think we will too.

ESR’s shinpads

But then imagine the LOLS when we turn them over 😃

Bill Hall

Hopefully, the PL will see sense and grant a postponement because at this rate Mikel Arteta will be asking for people on here to help out 😉

C.B.

I’m sure that Johnny 4 Skin could step up.

Tommmy

4 skin has tickled me

Three Steps Sideways

I’m quite sure that it’s supposed to be the other way around.

Serpent

Inanimate Carbon Rod is probably available.

ArsenesLongSufferingZipper

Or maybe Fatgooner could finally get to put his boots where his mouth is.

Teryima Adi

Fatgooner would help at goal and Rambling Pete as a holding midfielder.😜😜😜

Teryima Adi

Fatgooner would be at goal with Johnny 4 Hats as a holding midfielder.😜😜😜

Teryima Adi

It’s the season of anomalies.

Edward wilson

Will now see if premier league has vendetta against us, I think they’ll make us play it.

Gareth

I notice carragher and Neville have suddenly found a problem with these requests. Strange that

Gooner7190

I think it’s amazing that nothing was said when Leicester were using injuries to get games cancelled, now it’s us & all the pundits are losing their mind

Arsenalista

They all hate Arsenal and I’m fine with that.

Gooner7190

Neville trying to pre-empt the tide of Twitter abuse last night by saying it wasn’t just about us & he should’ve said it 3 weeks ago. Where was this faux outrage when Wolves pulled this against us then all miraculously recovered to play United 6 days later? Or when Klopp admitted to the ol’ lemon juice on an LFT trick? Least we’ve got actually excuses to want it, 40 “false positives”? Yeah, alright Jurgen *Rolls eyes*

Dimma

To be honest i think the game should be played, just like the other postponed games should have been. I’ve said on here before that its a bit of a joke that they are cancelling games more because of injuries than covid. But i can see why we have done it, everyone else has, so it would be unfair if we don’t have it called off as well. It will probably get turned down anyway because its us

Ealing

Keep on playing players with problems, because some players have Covid, the players with problems get injured.

Boydy

I don’t disagree with your sentiment but as Blogs pointed out in his daily today the precedent has been set.

For me, the only time games should be postponed is when you can prove a team is so rife with Covid that playing the game could cause a significant spreading event between clubs.

If your protocols are OK and have youth players available you should be able to avoid losing half the team to COVID.

Suspensions, injuries, and AFCON shouldn’t be factored in.

But we are where we are 🤷🏻‍♂️

Nainsley Aitland Miles

It’s hard to know where to draw the line isn’t it, but I do think AFCON should be factored in as it was supposed to be played in June/July 2021 but postponed for 6 months due to the coronavirus.

Dimma

I totally agree with you. Thats what i meant by i can see why we’ve done it, the precedent has been set and from an arsenal point of view, why not do it too? It will benefit us in the long run, even if it does feel a bit bad using the rules in this way

Goonerink

The BBC article on this email a horseshit. Goes in depth to explain our absentees and then goes on to explain the covid postponement rules.

Using media to influence opinion 101.

Nainsley Aitland Miles

Reading BBC is your mistake.

Sir No Goals

The pundits are now saying the buck has to stop with Arsenal. Typical. But it was okay for Liverpool to have ‘false positives’ and Leicester to start the saying they can’t play with injuries and lads at AFCON. But OH NO with Arsenal requesting postponement for the first time we look like the morons thanks to Carragher et al.

Gooner7190

12 players – IT NEEDS TO STOP

40 false positives – It could happen to anybody

Just more proof everybody hates us now we actually look a competent side

TheG

Smart. The fact that Sp*rs are fuming makes it even better.

Premier League rules say a club must play a game if they have 13 outfield players available (and one goalkeeper).

By my calculations we only have 10 known fit outfield players;

Tierney, White, Gabriel, Lacazette, Holding, Tavares, Mari, Lokonga, Nketiah, Martinelli.

And the 12 missing/doubtful;

Aubameyang, Partey, Elneny, Pepe, Xhaka, Odegaard, Saka, ESR, Tomiyasu, Cedric, Chambers, Kolasinac.

So I suspect The FA will grant the postponement.

Eazy Deezy

If the PL are being harsh, they could also count Patino as a first teamer, because he got 10 minutes against Sunderland in the League cup (his FA cup 3rd round start doesn’t count for this).

Also could they count Xhaka towards our 13, since it’s his fault he is suspended?

Nainsley Aitland Miles

Patino isn’t officially registered as one of the 25 first team squad players so I don’t think he’s taken into account with the 13 outfield players rule. I’m just speculating.

Actually neither are Saka and ESR – both still registered as an U21!

Otherwise the EFL would have made Liverpool play last week as they would obviously have dozens of U21 players.

Der32

You are too sensible for FA.

Ealing

You need to add Kola somewhere

Nainsley Aitland Miles

I did add him – I would never forget him.

Anders Limpar

I wish I could

Ealing

Me too, but AFAIK he’s fit

Cobwebs

A sudden outbreak of the new Klop variant of concern?

Freddo

If the postponement is granted, sp***rs is going to have a brain explosion when we field Vlahovic and Melo in the delayed fixture!

Nainsley Aitland Miles

To be fair, they may have Son back in the re-arranged fixture, and they will almost certainly make a few January signings of their own, so I don’t reckon Conte will complain too much.

Santori

……………………………Laca…………………………………
Tavares……………………………………………….Martinelli
………………………….Smith-Rowe………………………..
Tierney…………Sambi…………….White……..Tomiyasu
……………..Gabriel…………………..Holding………………
…………………………Ramsdale……………………………..

Lets go.

Nainsley Aitland Miles

Tomiyasu and ESR are on the doubtful list. If Arsenal are trying to get the game postponed, you can bet we have them in the ‘ruled out’ column.

Also noteworthy that ESR hasn’t played 90 minutes since November.

Eazy Deezy

If other clubs are going to the rules to get postponements when it helps them, then we definitely should too. But I still think it’s crazy that the system allows non-Covid absences to be included the same as Covid. This flips loads of the normal competitive structure on its head: 1- Clubs with small squads get rewarded with easier postponements. 2- Who decides if borderline injured players (like Saka/Chamber) are genuinely not fit enough to play? Clubs can just rest players instead of worrying about playing them when half-fit. 3- Clubs with players at AFCON get to postpone until after… Read more »

Nainsley Aitland Miles

Good points there. My Saturday morning 2 cents; 1; Clubs with smaller squads will eventually have to play their postponed games sooner or later anyway. 2; The FA possibly relying on honesty here. I mean they can request a physio’s report, but again, easy to skew in the favour of the club. 3; AFCON was originally supposed to be played June/July 2021, so it’s not like we’re gaining an unfair advantage here, as we never should be missing our AFCON players in the first instance. 4; Not sure how the AMN situation works. He was part of the official 25… Read more »

Grecian Gunner

Just need to conjure up 9 false positives this morning.

Pete Plum

I’m against this. I think we should play.

Pete Plum

Though not as clear cut as usual obviously. I wish we’d made that point in the press release – rules unclear so we’re testing them or some such. Loads of people are reading the press release out of context.

Nainsley Aitland Miles

Do you really want to go there with a 5-3-2 team of Ramsdale; Tavares (at RB), Holding, Gabriel, Mari, Tierney; Lokonga, White (CM), Martinelli; Lacazette, Nketiah.

With Leno on the bench with eight U23’s.

Ealing

The longer it goes the more likely we will play

Futsboller

Yeah, you have to believe that the PL is putting Arsenal through the ringers on this one, unlike everyone else in the league. As I said above, I’d be happy if they forced us to play. We all know we are held to a different set of rules on and off the pitch by the officials and the media, and this would simply make it obvious to everyone. It would also give Arteta that extra little bit to galvanize the club’s mentality going forward, and hopefully unify the fans again once and for all. Amazon couldn’t have asked for more… Read more »

Futsboller

Damn.

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