Arteta fumes after Gunners forced to play amidst virus outbreak in Brentford defeat

Striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Alexandre Lacazette, Willian and goalkeeper Alex Runarsson missed the match. An extra round of testing was carried out on the day of the Gunners’ 2-0 defeat to the EPL new boys

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said on Friday he was surprised his side were forced to play their EPL opener at Brentford last week despite a COVID-19 outbreak that saw four players test positive. 

Striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Alexandre Lacazette, Willian and goalkeeper Alex Runarsson missed the match. An extra round of testing was carried out on the day of the Gunners’ 2-0 defeat to the EPL new boys, but Arteta was mystified as to why the precedent of matches being postponed in such circumstances from last season was not continued.

“I was surprised, but the regulators decided that the best thing to do was to play,” said Arteta at his pre-match press conference ahead of Chelsea’s visit to the Emirates on Sunday. “We did what we had to do through the club, through the club doctor, how things developed and the risk we could see there.” 

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