Everyone hates Arsenal and it’s excellent news

Arsenal saw an appeal to have their match against Tottenham postponed granted and the outrage it has sparked is utterly spectacular. This incredibly likeable young team is now everyone’s worst enemy.

It is news most excellent.

The reasons for requesting the North London Derby to be rearranged were clear; Arsenal have fewer than the required outfield players available to fulfill their fixture. It’s as simple as that.

Based on the highly flawed system put in place by the Premier League to help combat the growing spread of Covid, they were well within their rights to do so. Their appeal was successful despite them having just the solitary positive case at the time, which while completely ridiculous, is entirely fair based on the rules. They’ve done what any club would do, and what many clubs have done already.

Everyone hates Arsenal after having the Tottenham game postponed and it’s excellent news for Mikel Arteta’s young side

So why the outpouring of disgust and anger from all quarters of the football world?

Tottenham released a statement challenging the ‘consistency and clarity’ of the rule, a bizarre thing to say when the the rules have, in fact, been consistent to a tee. This is the 20th postponement this season. Where was all this energy for any of the previous 19, some of which took place mere hours before kick-off?

Arsenal haven’t deceived anyone either. They’ve been completely transparent throughout, revealing the exact amount of players unavailable due to Covid. Not a docked LFT in sight.

Wolves applied to have a game postponed against Arsenal over Christmas and there wasn’t so much as a peep from north London. They went through a hectic festive schedule that put a strain on the squad without so much as a finger being raised. Now, here, journalists, pundits, ex-players, including a failed former Tottenham player who’s daily tripe is worthy of its own All or Nothing documentary, are in uproar.

Someone counted Arsenal’s squad numbers down to the Under-18’s. One brought up the 16 year old lasagna-gate like it has anything at all to do with this situation. Others insisted Arsenal should play their ‘kids’, despite having regularly fielded the youngest team in the division.

On Sunday morning a journalist compiled a £189m Arsenal lineup that included Pablo Mari at right-back, Benjamin White in midfield and Charlie Patino at right-wing against a ‘cheaper’ Spurs lineup to try and make a point. What point? It’s just disingenuous garbage that ignores the fact that the rule is 13 players (including 2 goalkeepers), not 11. The backlash is plain….weird.

Bring it on.

If there is such disgust from across the Premier League and from journalists covering other clubs, it means Arsenal are doing something right. Being treated the way they are for following the (unbelievably ridiculous) rules precisely the same as everyone else hints towards a bigger picture.

The evidently rattled public have something to fear. Maybe it’s fear of Arsenal. Having been so far off the top of the division in recent seasons and now launching a legitimate top four bid, Arsenal should embrace this. Bask in the siege mentality. Drink it in.

As George Graham famously said: “It’s fine that people hate us. It’s part of our history.”

Everyone now hates Arsenal for following rules every other team has abided by? How excellent, because it’s plainly clear that the reasons behind this pandemonium stretches beyond simply having a game postponed. They hate because they fear.

Wonderful.