Arteta bans Arsenal players from fantasy football squads after leak
Mikel Arteta has stepped in to stop his own players and staff accidentally giving away Arsenal’s team news again, after a Fantasy Premier League mishap exposed part of the starting lineup before the win over Liverpool.
Christos Tzolis made a surprise return to the XI for that game, but the Greece international, who joined in a £34m move from Club Brugge in the summer, gave the game away by putting himself back into his own Fantasy Premier League team, named Tzatziki FC. Riccardo Calafiori, who had been an injury doubt, was also kept in Tzolis’ fantasy side and went on to start, as did Ezri Konsa.
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Kai Havertz’s 16th minute goal proved enough to secure all three points in a game Arsenal controlled defensively after the break. The result left Arteta’s side three points clear of Manchester City at the top of the Premier League, having won eight and lost just one of their opening nine league games as they look to defend the title.
No Arsenal players allowed
According to NowArsenal, Arteta has decided against banning players and staff from playing Fantasy Premier League altogether. Instead, anyone connected to the club who plays the game has been told they cannot include any Arsenal players in their squad at all.
The report states: ‘The new restriction is straightforward. Anyone connected to the club who plays Fantasy Premier League is expected to field no Arsenal players. The measure is designed to protect squad confidentiality going forward.’
Tzolis has since reshuffled his own fantasy team in response, removing himself, Calafiori and Konsa, along with Bruno Fernandes and Luke Shaw, and bringing in Adrien Truffert, Cole Palmer, Virgil van Dijk, Rayan Cherki and Maxim De Cuyper instead. An Arsenal staff member who also plays the game has removed all Arsenal players from their squad as well.
Focus back on the pitch
Arsenal can extend their lead at the top of the table when Hull City visit the Emirates on Saturday, before Manchester City host Nottingham Forest in the late kick off. Arteta’s squad will then scatter for international duty, with the manager keen to avoid any repeat of the 3-0 defeat to Brighton that preceded the last international break.
“We want to attack the game tomorrow, right from the off,” Arteta said. “We know the momentum we have right now, and we need to increase it, especially going into the international break, because we know what is coming after.”
Arsenal will be hoping to head into the break with both three points and their team news firmly under wraps this time.
