Tottenham vs Arsenal postponed

There will be no North London derby. The match between Tottenham and Arsenal has been suspended after the Premier League Board has analyzed the request sent by the Gunners.

Arsenal asked not to play the match due to the casualties suffered by the squad led by Mikel Arteta. Although it is not due to a coronavirus outbreak, Arsenal have more than seven players out of action.

The players out are Mohamed Elneny, Nicolas Pepé, Thomas Partey, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang for the Africa Cup, Emile Smith Rowe, Sead Kolasinac, and Takehiro Tomiyasu due to injury.

On the other hand, Odegaard tested positive and Xhaka was sent off, bringing to nine the number of players who could not play.

In the end, the Premier League understood that the arguments were compelling enough to move the match against Tottenham to a better date. 

Premier League Statement

The Premier League said: "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”.

"Postponement rules are designed to protect the wellbeing of players and staff while maintaining the sporting integrity of the competition".

"Club requests are assessed on a case-by-case basis, based on existing rules and adapted Covid-19 postponement guidance, implemented in light of the Omicron variant," added its statement.

"The board examines a number of factors, including the ability of a club to field a team; the status, severity, and potential impact of Covid-19, and the ability of the players to safely prepare for and play the match.

"The detail within all applications is scrutinized by the league's specialist staff before the board makes its decision."

It is the second Premier League game scheduled for this weekend to be postponed after Burnley's game against Leicester City was called off on Friday because of Covid-19 and injuries in the Clarets camp.

It is the 21st top-flight game to be postponed this season because of Covid.