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Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville has blasted Arsenal for trying to get their game against Tottenham Hotspur postponed.
The Gunners have several players injured or on international duty, and are trying to push the fixture back. Mikel Arteta has only 12 outfield players available, even though only Martin Odegaard has been confirmed as COVID-19 positive.
Neville pointed out that the Gunners loaned out Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Folarin Balogun while Granit Xhaka is suspended. He then claimed teams are trying to get games postponed because they don’t have their best players available. Neville said on Sky Sports:
“I honestly believe that all teams, not just in the Premier League but the EFL, now must be made to play their fixtures. Balogun’s gone on loan, Maitland-Niles has gone on loan, Xhaka’s got a red card – that’s not the fault of anybody else."
He added:
“We can’t be calling fixtures off. If it was purely down to COVID and extraordinary circumstances where there were 10 or 15 players out [it would be acceptable]. But, we’re now talking about teams in the last few weeks where there’s no doubt they’ve been calling games off whether they think they’ve got the best squad or best team to win a game."
How Arsenal will benefit if their request is accepted
Tottenham Hotspur are at home and will view this fixture as a winnable one because of how weak the Arsenal team are at the moment. The midfield is particularly light as Thomas Partey is on AFCON duty while Granit Xhaka is suspended.
The north London derby on Sunday will be massive in the race for the top four and Tottenham will not have as many key players out as Arsenal.
Antonio Conte’s side are just two points behind Arsenal and have two games in hand as well. A win on Sunday would take them above the Gunners and put them in a good position in the second half of the season.
The Gunners won the reverse fixture 3-1 after a first-half blitz. However, they may have to face an onslaught on Sunday if the game isn’t postponed.
