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Former Premier League defender Alan Hutton feels Arsenal’s game against Tottenham Hotspur should not have been postponed as the Gunners used a loophole in the rules.
Mikel Arteta’s side are without several first-team regulars owing to injuries and the AFCON, but only Martin Odegaard was COVID-19 positive at the time.
Regardless, the Gunners were able to get their game against Tottenham postponed as they did not have a minimum of 13 outfield players and a goalkeeper.
Three players were unavailable due to Arsenal’s own doing as Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Folarin Balogun were loaned out while Granit Xhaka was suspended.
Hutton explained to Football Insider that Arsenal made good use of a loophole to get their game moved to another date:
“It was a game I was looking forward to watching. Some of the first-team members have gone out on loan. How does that make sense? You’re trying to tell me that you don’t have enough players to fulfil a fixture you but you can send players on loan? It doesn’t really add up.
“There is a little bit of a grey area and teams are playing it very well. They need to stamp it out. I don’t think it’s fair. Yes, there are players at the African Cup of Nations, injuries, Covid situations, but we need to get these games played.”
He added that games should be postponed only if there is an issue related to COVID:
“You can’t be using loopholes to get out of it so you can then meet later and field a stronger team. I think we have to get on with it. Everybody is in the same situation going through the same times. It has to be solely down to the Covid issue. You can’t be factoring in, when you’ve got such a big squad, two or three injuries. If it is Covid and it has gone through your camp, no problem.”
Arsenal’s squad depth has been tested in January
The Gunners claimed that even without the players they loaned out, they would not have been able to name 13 outfield players and a goalkeeper.
While Hutton is not wrong, Arsenal’s circumstance needs to be considered. The Gunners have lost four players to international duty, and several others are injured.
Like everyone else, the North London outfit are looking out for themselves and there is perhaps nothing wrong in doing so.
It remains to be seen if the Gunners will have enough players for their second-leg clash in the Carabao Cup semi-final against Liverpool, which will be played on Thursday.
