North London Derby: Bizarre Reason Behind Tottenham vs Arsenal 6 Minute Delay
- The North London derby between Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal was halted twice for an unusual reason, disrupting the rhythm of the contest
- The first delay stretched to six minutes, while the second came shortly after the restart and was resolved more quickly
- With Arsenal having dropped points against Wolves and Man City closing the gap, the fixture carried even greater significance for the title-chasing Gunners
Two bizarre stoppages disrupted Sunday’s north London derby between Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal, leaving players frustrated and supporters confused before the match eventually burst into life.
The opening interruption came only eight minutes into the contest, with a combined 13 players unavailable across both sides. Despite the absentees, the eagerly awaited clash began at a high tempo as each team searched for an early opener.
However, the play suddenly stopped. Inside the stadium and across television screens, nobody quite knew what had gone wrong.
Source: Getty Images
Technical faults disrupt Tottenham vs Arsenal clash
According to talkSPORT, it later emerged that one of the assistant referees had experienced a technical fault.
His microphone pack needed replacing on the touchline, leading to a pause that lasted close to six minutes.
Momentum never truly settled before half-time. Arsenal struck first on 32 minutes through Eberechi Eze, only for Randal Kolo Muani to respond almost immediately for Spurs.
Just as the contest seemed ready to flow, another interruption arrived at the start of the second period.
This time, the other assistant referee encountered similar equipment trouble.
Although the hold-up was shorter, frustration rippled around the ground. Boos rang out as fans voiced their displeasure at yet another break in rhythm.
When action resumed, Arsenal wasted no time. Viktor Gyokeres restored their advantage within two minutes.
Eze added another on the hour mark before Gyokeres completed the scoring to seal a commanding 4-1 triumph for Mikel Arteta’s side.
Source: Getty Images
Gary Neville fumes over officiating delays
The unusual scenes did not go unnoticed in the commentary box. Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville, working for Sky Sports, could barely hide his irritation.
“It’s an absolute nonsense. One of the most important games of the season," Neville said, as quoted by The Sun.
“We’re having to wait two or three minutes and the players will have to re warm up. Absolute shambles.
“They might be chilling out but I’m absolutely fuming. I can’t believe this game has been stopped for this long.
“If they haven’t got the common sense or authority or leadership to read the room here… 62,000 in the stadium, millions watching at home – do they really think it’s that important?
“Put your flag up. If you need to make a decision, go and speak to him.”
Amid the turbulence, Arsenal claimed a crucial win to steady the ship after back-to-back draws, one of which saw them set an unwanted mark against Wolves.
Dropped points against Brentford and Wolves had opened the door for Manchester City to cut into their lead.
Guardiola opens up about EPL race
Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that Pep Guardiola admitted Man City are unlikely to win all their remaining Premier League games in the title race with Arsenal, despite beating Newcastle 2-1.
He conceded that City probably will not claim victory in each of their final 11 matches.
Source: YEN.com.gh
