Arsenal boss is Gunning for club’s critics

MIKEL Arteta has defended Arsenal’s decision to successfully apply for Sunday’s Premier League match with Tottenham to be postponed and insisted they made the request for all the right reasons.

The Spaniard revealed the Gunners still have “issues” but is hopeful they will be able to host Liverpool tonight in the Carabao Cup semi-final second leg at the Emirates.

Arsenal’s decision to have the north London derby postponed was met with anger by rivals Tottenham, who expressed their surprise at the fixture being rearranged.

Martin Odegaard was the only known Covid-19 case in the Gunners’ squad.

However, they were without a plethora of players due to international duty, suspension and injuries which saw them unable to raise a squad of 13 outfield players and a goalkeeper, hitting the Premier League’s criteria for a game to be off.

Arteta said: “We did not have the players necessary to put out a squad available to compete in a Premier League match, that is 100 per cent guaranteed but this is a no-win situation.

“When we played the first three games of the season, when other teams were postponing matches, we were killed and told don’t be naive because if you have that many players out don’t play with your kids.

“Now we postpone the match for all the right reasons, believe me, and we get this reaction but I think it is normal.”

Arsenal lost their opening three Premier League fixtures amid a Covid-19 outbreak at the club.

Sunday’s scheduled game with Spurs was the first time the Gunners had requested a match to be off and Arteta hit back at external criticism, Tottenham boss Antonio Conte expressing his bemusement at the situation during his press conference on Tuesday.

Arteta added: “We will defend our clubs with teeth and nails.

“We will not let anybody damage our name or try to lie about things.

“When a team have come to us and said we cannot play and the game has been postponed we have never ever publicly questioned any of that.”

Arteta was coy over the state of the Arsenal squad for the clash with Jurgen Klopp’s side.

He said: “There are issues, those issues have not been resolved and that is why we could not play the last game - but we want to keep that internally.”