Arteta is clear that Arsenal can’t social distance while playing

With the massive explosion in the positive coronavirus numbers in UK and the world, the government recently told the Premier League to try and avoid any close contact on the field as a good example to all the viewers in total lockdown.

Yesterday’s game against Crystal Palace was the first Arsenal game since that guidelines were issued, so it is no surprise that Mikel Arteta was asked about the dangers of social distancing during football matches.

The Spaniard was quite clear that there is little that clubs can do about it, especially when it comes to set pieces and corners. Luckily no one scored a goal so we couldn’t see any dodgy goal celebrations!

Arteta was asked if the government could force players to follow the guidelines, and he told Arsenal.com: “I don’t know the answer to that question. What we can control and what we are trying really hard to do is to try to follow all the guidelines, all the rules but sometimes that becomes difficult because there are a lot of emotions involved in the game.

“Obviously, it’s good to do fist bumping, but there are 25 actions where we have to grab each other on every set-piece. We are being tested every three days and we are trying to do all the right things and sometimes it makes sense to be all the time demanding that but at sometimes there are things that are pretty complicated.”

It is true that there is little more that the clubs can do, we all just have to hope that all the players respect the guidelines when they are in private, so it doesn’t increase the risk of infecting all their team-mates.

Good luck with that one….

READ MORE: Some Arsenal fans turn on Aubameyang after another blank display!

2 Comments

  1. We are very close now to having all football stopped by government as players are not cooperating. There is a world of difference between being in a wall at free kicks and slobbering all over each other when having scored.

    I have never understood the need for all players to pile on top of each other and unless they cease right now they willl be hugely blamed, rightly or wrongly, when football is halted. Anyone with even half a brain can see it coming, UNLESS. they grow up! I doubt they ever will!

  2. I think the season may halt again, cos this social distancing on the field of play is nonsense to an adrenline rushed game as football

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