The Premier League have confirmed that clubs will have to prove they have at least four cases of Covid-19 in their squad before making an application for a match to be postponed due to insufficient numbers.
The new postponement guidance, voted on today by clubs, overrides an update issued in December which was introduced in response to the emergence of the Omicron variant.
Why did the rules change? While it’s reductive to say “because Arsenal boiled everyone’s piss by testing pushing them to the limit”, that is, pretty much, exactly the reason.
Working within the margins of the previous rules, Arsenal were able to successfully appeal for the north London derby to be postponed despite Martin Odegaard being the only player in the dressing room to test positive for the virus.
His absence, combined with several injuries and four first team members being at the African Cup of Nations meant Mikel Arteta wasn’t able to raise a sufficiently experienced squad of 13 outfield players and a goalkeeper.
Under the new rules, we’d have had to rely on Academy kids to make up the numbers at White Hart Lane, which is basically what would have happened had this been an FA Cup tie; a competition with its own Covid postponement protocols.
It’ll be interesting to see if any clubs moan about the rules being updated when they suddenly struggle to raise numbers. It’s not clear if anyone voted against the new guidance being introduced.
On a separate note, the Premier League has also updated its Covid-19 guidance for fans after the UK government eased its “Autumn and Winter Plan B” restrictions.
In simple terms, NHS Covid passes or proof of a negative lateral test will no longer be a condition of entry to matches.
Clubs, including Arsenal, had been operating a pretty loose ‘spot check’ policy, so very few people were actually bothered by stewards as they queued for entry at Emirates Stadium.
So, the new rule would have seen our opening match against Brentford postponed in August?
No. It’s not a case of ‘if you have 4 cases or more your game is off’ – you have to not be able to field 13 outfield players and a keeper with suitable experience.
Even without Lacazette, Aubameyang, Willian and Runarsson (all with suspected Covid) our team at Brentford was…
Leno, Chambers, White, Mari, Tierney, Xhaka, Sambi, Smith Rowe, Pepe, Balogun, Martinelli
Subs: Hein, Bellerin, Cedric, Maitland-Niles, Holding, Tavares, Elneny, Nelson, Saka
Anyone else missing Pepe a bit?
I wish we’d try Pepe on the left and Martinelli up top, at least until ESR gets back to full fitness.
I will laugh my tits off if Son, Kane and Lloris come down with covid before the rescheduled match.
And Jamie O’Hara.
Who?
Who indeed!! 🤣👍🍺
Neville: “It’s not about Arsenal.”
Yeah, right…….🙄
That rat only stuck his head above the parapet when Arsenal were involved. Where was this big-man talk when Liverpool, Man u, spuds, the lot were doing it? Not a peep. Wouldn’t want to upset his mate ‘Carra’ would he. Over-promoted tosser.
Does that include false positives? Asking for a Liverpool friend 😛
This Liverpool mate of yours wouldn’t have a grey beard, a baseball cap and possess a weird fetish for routinely jumping around smashing his latest procurement from Specsavers…..?
Yes, it does. As long as you close your training ground for less than a day and have high-profile media friends. We’ll just sweep it under the carpet as if nothing happened.
Only a few will even bother to look. No worries.
I think it makes absolute sense to change the rules mid season.
Just like it made sense to conjure up a set of rules AFTER setting presidence by forcing us to play with a Covid hit team. The sign of any well run operation is to make things up along the way .
Statement from the Premier League: we originally implemented these rules to help clubs, however when it was noted that this had helped Arsenal we knew we had got it wrong.
Right, so all we need is for Stan to put significant cash into the club, and then the FA will create some actually effective FFP rules with proper penalties for breaking them. C’mon Stan, let’s take one for the good of the game and get this done.
> His absence, combined with several injuries and four first team members being at the African Cup of Nations
AND we mercilessly loaning out players lol.
I only ever got asked for my Covid pass at Arsenal the one time I bothered to turn up early and then waited 25 minutes in a queue for the BOGOF Camden Hells lager (because they only do that offer at the main bars but not the standalone stalls). Have now reverted to previous habit of staying in the pub to the last minute and getting into the ground on kick-off.
Camden Hells.
The passing backwards and sideways and horseshoe football of lagers.
This is a total mess. Changing the rules mid season creates unfair advantages. Regardless of whether this has worked in our favour (for once) it’s chaos.
It should always have been the case that clubs would have to prove the positive cases.