The Premier League had to postpone the match between Arsenal and Wolves because of another COVID-19 outbreak. The coronavirus outbreak has led to this 15th match postponement in the league. It was confirmed on the Wolves website that the game will not go ahead as they do not have sufficient players for the fixture.
The game was supposed to take place on Tuesday as a midweek fixture. Moreover, Premier League had to postpone this second-midweek fixture. Leeds vs Aston Villa is the fixture to not take place due to the same reason. The league also postponed Wolves’ weekend fixture against Watford as then Watford were the team who suffered from the outbreak. However, now Wolves have also fallen prey to the outbreak and will not go forward with their midweek fixture.
Arsenal have thrashed Norwich City 5-0 and would have had only less than 48 hours to prepare for their game against Wolves. However, this situation has played in their hands as the players will now get proper rest before their next match.
The Premier League statement on the Wolves website was as follows,
“Arsenal FC’s match against Wolverhampton Wanderers at the Emirates Stadium, due to be played at 12:30 pm on Tuesday 28 December, has regrettably been postponed.”
“The Premier League Board accepted the postponement application as Wolverhampton Wanderers does not have the required number of players available for the match (13 outfield players and one goalkeeper) as a result of a number of Covid-19 cases and injuries at the club.
“The Board was able to make its decision in advance of the fixture to give clarity to the affected clubs and their fans. We apologize for the inconvenience and disruption caused to supporters’ festive plans.”
What the Premier League should learn after Arsenal vs Wolves postponement due to Covid?
This is the 15th match to be postponed because of the Covid outbreak. The numbers will keep on increasing if the virus is not contained. A decision was taken to not stop the league although there are more and more cases every day. The Premier League’s job is to assure players’ and staff members’ safety. However, due to the league’s lack of consistent decision-making, safety is now compromised.
The players will not feel safe to play in such an environment after one point. Moreover, the players will also not be at their full fitness when returning from isolation. The after-effects of the virus will be stoping the players to play a full game resulting in fatigue. If the league was stopped for a few weeks then the virus could have been contained.
Moreover, the fans are filling the stadium in every match. At least the matches should be played behind closed doors to ensure the safety of the fans. If these measures are not taken then it may result in the third wave of coronavirus and it is the last thing everyone wants right now.
Tough measures have to be taken to ensure the full safety of players, club members, and most importantly the fans. If the league keeps on postponing the matches then this will keep ongoing for a long long time. Moreover, it will be very late afterward to postpone the league itself. Fan’s safety is a must and the games should at least proceed to be played behind closed doors.
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