Gabby Agbonlahor

Wed 19 January 2022 17:30, UK

The Premier League’s “stupid” rules need to change after Antonio Conte slammed the “mess” of the Tottenham-Arsenal postponement, according to Gabby Agbonlahor.

Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the ex-Aston Villa and England attacker insisted he did not blame Arsenal for trying to get the game called off.

The club confirmed on Saturday (15 January) the game was off after their request to the Premier League was accepted.

As quoted by football.london yesterday (18 January), Antonio Conte labelled the situation a “mess”.

“I understand exactly why Arsenal did it,” Agbonlahor told Football Insider correspondent Connor Whitley.

“Why would Arsenal want to play Spurs without Granit Xhaka, players that have gone to the Africa Cup of Nations, Covid cases and injuries?

“Why would they want to play an important game that could decide the top-four race when other teams are doing the exact same?

“There’s a saying, don’t hate the player, hate the game and that’s what Arsenal have done and have every right to. Look at Burnley, they’ve had every game possible called off.

“When I played at football, there was players that admitted to a foul when it might not have been. You don’t get in the top four for playing fair.

“You can understand Spurs’ anger but don’t blame Arsenal, blame the Premier League rules.

“The rules are stupid and it needs a huge change. I don’t care if you’ve got seven players because of injuries and AFCON, that’s not the Premier League’s problem. The only way you should get games called off is if you have a certain amount of covid cases.

“You have to build a bigger squad. The transfer window is open, go and buy some players.

“The Premier League are a million miles off it. Whoever made these rules need to be changed.

“Arsenal let players go out on loan too, it just doesn’t make sense.”

In other news, an insider has revealed a potential Tottenham ‘disaster’ will spark ‘anger on a scale we haven’t seen’ aimed at Daniel Levy.