Premier league suffers first postponement as arsenal players quarantined

The Premier League has suffered its first postponement of the season after Arsenal's match against Aston Villa was called off due to a coronavirus outbreak among the Gunners' players.

Arsenal announced on Thursday morning that a number of players had been placed in quarantine after coming into contact with someone who had tested positive for COVID-19. The club said that the players were showing no symptoms of the virus, but were being kept isolated as a precaution.

As a result, the Premier League has postponed the match between Arsenal and Aston Villa, which was due to take place at the Emirates Stadium on Friday night. The league said in a statement: "The Premier League has postponed the match between Arsenal and Aston Villa, scheduled to take place on Friday, due to a number of Arsenal players being placed in quarantine."

This is the first postponement of a Premier League match this season, and it comes at a time when the league is under pressure to complete the remaining fixtures before the end of the season. The Premier League has been working closely with the UK government and health authorities to ensure the safety of players and staff, and this postponement is a precautionary measure to prevent the spread of the virus.

Arsenal's players will now undergo further testing and will be allowed to return to training when they are cleared by medical staff. The club said in a statement: "We are working closely with the Premier League and Public Health England to ensure the health and safety of our players, staff and fans. We will provide further updates as necessary."

The postponement of the match is a blow to both Arsenal and Aston Villa, who were both looking to pick up three points in their respective battles to avoid relegation. The Premier League will now have to reschedule the match for a later date, which could have a significant impact on the remaining fixtures of the season.