{"id":1164,"date":"2026-04-01T03:02:31","date_gmt":"2026-04-01T03:02:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportings.com.ng\/?p=1164"},"modified":"2026-04-01T03:02:31","modified_gmt":"2026-04-01T03:02:31","slug":"arsenal-stars-face-ban-calls-as-premier-league-told-to-step-in","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportings.com.ng\/?p=1164","title":{"rendered":"Arsenal stars &#8216;face ban calls&#8217; as Premier League told to step in"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"content-main\">\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<!--post-header--><\/p>\n<div id=\"post-feat-img\" class=\"left relative\" itemprop=\"image\" itemscope=\"\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" class=\"attachment- size- wp-post-image ewww_webp_lazy_load\" alt=\"Arsenal FC\" decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"high\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Arsenal-FC-22.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Arsenal-FC-22-600x338.jpg 600w, https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Arsenal-FC-22-768x432.jpg 768w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" src=\"https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Arsenal-FC-22.jpg\" src-webp=\"https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Arsenal-FC-22.jpg.webp\" srcset-webp=\"https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Arsenal-FC-22.jpg.webp 1200w, https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Arsenal-FC-22-600x338.jpg 600w, https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Arsenal-FC-22-768x432.jpg 768w\"\/><img width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" src=\"https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Arsenal-FC-22.jpg\" class=\"attachment- size- wp-post-image\" alt=\"Arsenal FC\" decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"high\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Arsenal-FC-22.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Arsenal-FC-22-600x338.jpg 600w, https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Arsenal-FC-22-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\"\/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<meta itemprop=\"url\" content=\"https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Arsenal-FC-22.jpg\"\/><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<meta itemprop=\"width\" content=\"1200\"\/><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<meta itemprop=\"height\" content=\"675\"\/><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<!--post-feat-text-->\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p><!--post-feat-img--><\/p>\n<section class=\"social-sharing-top\">\n<p><span class=\"fb-but1\"><i class=\"fa-brands fa-facebook-f\"\/><\/span><span class=\"social-text\">Share<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"#\" onclick=\"window.open('http:\/\/twitter.com\/share?text=Arsenal stars \u2018face ban calls\u2019 as Premier League told to step in -&amp;url=https:\/\/sixsports.in\/arsenal-stars-face-ban-calls-as-premier-league-told-to-step-in\/', 'twitterShare', 'width=626,height=436'); return false;\" title=\"Share This Post\"><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"twitter-but1\"><i class=\"fa-brands fa-x-twitter\"\/><\/span><span class=\"social-text\">Share<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"whatsapp-but1\"><i class=\"fa-brands fa-whatsapp fa-2\"\/><\/span><span class=\"social-text\">Share<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"pinterest-but1\"><i class=\"fa-brands fa-pinterest-p\"\/><\/span><span class=\"social-text\">Share<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"email-but\"><i class=\"fa fa-envelope fa-2\"\/><\/span><span class=\"social-text\">Email<\/span><\/p>\n<\/section>\n<p><!--social-sharing-top--><\/p>\n<div class=\"sx-entity-card\">\n<div class=\"sx-entity-top\">\n<div class=\"sx-entity-logo\">\n                <img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"345\" height=\"350\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"ARSENAL\" src=\"https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/arsenal_logo.avif\"\/><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"345\" height=\"350\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/arsenal_logo.avif\" alt=\"ARSENAL\"\/>\n            <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"sx-entity-description\">\n<p>            Arsenal is one of England\u2019s most prestigious football clubs, competing in the Premier League and European competitions like the UEFA Champions League. Known for its attacking style, rich history, and passionate fanbase, Arsenal has won numerous league titles and domestic\u2026            <a class=\"sx-entity-readmore\" href=\"https:\/\/sixsports.in\/team\/arsenal\/\"><br \/>\n                Read More about ARSENAL\n        <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Arsenal stars are facing ban calls as the Premier League is told to make new rules. This comes as the Gunners\u2019 stars are withdrawing themselves during the international break due to injury issues. This has sparked questions about club ambition and national pride.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-rising-withdrawals-from-arsenal-stars-due-to-injury-nbsp\">Rising withdrawals from Arsenal stars due to injury <\/h2>\n<p>The current international break has placed <strong>Arsenal<\/strong> under huge criticism. This comes after a wave of withdrawals from national squads raised doubts across the world. This comes especially with the <strong>EPL<\/strong> title race entering a key phase. Around ten players either pulled out or were managed carefully. Meanwhile, injuries and fatigue are part of the game. So, the timing of all this has made the critics unhappy.<\/p>\n<p>Former Aston Villa striker Gabby Agbonlahor did not hold back when talking about the issue, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/sport\/football\/news\/arsenal-injury-news-premier-league-36946252\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">as per reports<\/a>. He thinks that the PL must step in with firm action to stop what he sees as a growing pattern. He argued that clubs could be indirectly benefiting by keeping players fresh for league games. Meanwhile, national teams are left short-handed, as per the former player. <\/p>\n<p>His frustration was clear as he said: <strong><em>\u201cIf I was part of the Premier League and I was making a decision, I would bring in a new rule, you miss the next Premier League game available if you pull out of international duty.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" alt=\"Arsenal FC\" class=\"wp-image-173858 ewww_webp_lazy_load\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Arsenal-FC-21.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Arsenal-FC-21-600x338.jpg 600w, https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Arsenal-FC-21-768x432.jpg 768w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" src=\"https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Arsenal-FC-21.jpg\" src-webp=\"https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Arsenal-FC-21.jpg.webp\" srcset-webp=\"https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Arsenal-FC-21.jpg.webp 1200w, https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Arsenal-FC-21-600x338.jpg.webp 600w, https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Arsenal-FC-21-768x432.jpg.webp 768w\"\/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" src=\"https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Arsenal-FC-21.jpg\" alt=\"Arsenal FC\" class=\"wp-image-173858\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Arsenal-FC-21.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Arsenal-FC-21-600x338.jpg 600w, https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Arsenal-FC-21-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>The debate becomes big after looking at the current context. Manchester City remain within closing distance despite trailing by nine points with a game in hand. With margins so tight, even small advantages could shape the title results. <\/p>\n<p>Now, critics feel that if the ongoing trend is strategic rather than necessary. They believe it affects the spirit of <strong>football<\/strong>. At the same time, clubs are dealing with busy schedules and increasing injuries. In addition, there is pressure to deliver results week after week.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-arteta-under-pressure-for-premier-league-title\">Arteta under pressure for Premier League title<\/h2>\n<p>Head coach Mikel Arteta now finds himself in a tricky spot. The north London club\u2019s boss is trying to protect his squad while chasing silverware on several fronts. Arsenal\u2019s upcoming fixtures, including an important FA Cup tie, need a fully fit squad. So, managing player workload has become more vital than ever.<\/p>\n<p>Several key players have been at the center of this situation. Key defender William Saliba has withdrawn after a tough cup final. In addition, club skipper Martin Odegaard, who continues to manage fitness concerns. Others like Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice did not train as part of a planned approach. This shows how modern football increasingly leans toward load management.<\/p>\n<p>However, Agbonlahor\u2019s stance reflects an older school mindset that places national duty above all else. He added, <strong><em>\u201cPlaying for your country is an honour.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><em> \u201cI\u2019m just not keen on players pulling out of international duty. It doesn\u2019t sit right with me.\u201d<\/em><\/strong> <\/p>\n<p>His comments have an emotion that tells that representing your nation should never take a back seat.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-new-rule-debate-gains-real-pace\">New rule debate gains real pace<\/h2>\n<p>The idea of introducing a rule that penalizes players for withdrawing from the national team is now taking shape. Although it remains highly controversial given the current situation. <\/p>\n<p>Fans argue it would protect the sport of football. They think it will ensure players do not skip games without valid reasons. On the other hand, some believe such a rule could be harsh and difficult to enforce. This is especially when medical tests vary between club and country.<\/p>\n<p>Recent seasons have already seen tensions between clubs and national teams grow. Clubs are becoming increasingly vocal about player welfare and fitness. With more competitions and longer seasons, managers have to make huge calls.<\/p>\n<div class=\"preferred-source-box\" style=\"margin-top:40px;padding:25px;background: #1865b4;border:1px solid #ddd;border-radius:8px;text-align:center;\">\n<h2 style=\"font-size:24px;margin-bottom:10px;color:#fff;\">ENJOYED THIS STORY?<\/h2>\n<p style=\"font-size:16px;margin-bottom:20px;color:#fff;\">\n<p>                    Add Six Sports as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting\n                <\/p>\n<p>                    <img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Add as a preferred source on Google\" style=\"max-width:260px;height:auto;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.goal.com\/img\/google-trusted-source\/google_preferred_source_badge_dark@2x.webp\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.goal.com\/img\/google-trusted-source\/google_preferred_source_badge_dark@2x.webp\" alt=\"Add as a preferred source on Google\" style=\"max-width:260px;height:auto;\"\/><\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"fe-author-box\" itemprop=\"author\" itemscope=\"\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Person\">\n<div class=\"fe-author-avatar\">\n        <img loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/5e5f688e8ef47bf47037a790559db1f6c9bfa0e5a27dd0b97369ccadb99ec34e?s=200&amp;d=mm&amp;r=g 2x\" class=\"avatar avatar-100 photo\" height=\"100\" width=\"100\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/5e5f688e8ef47bf47037a790559db1f6c9bfa0e5a27dd0b97369ccadb99ec34e?s=100&amp;d=mm&amp;r=g\"\/><img loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/5e5f688e8ef47bf47037a790559db1f6c9bfa0e5a27dd0b97369ccadb99ec34e?s=100&amp;d=mm&amp;r=g\" srcset=\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/5e5f688e8ef47bf47037a790559db1f6c9bfa0e5a27dd0b97369ccadb99ec34e?s=200&amp;d=mm&amp;r=g 2x\" class=\"avatar avatar-100 photo\" height=\"100\" width=\"100\" decoding=\"async\"\/>    <\/div>\n<div class=\"fe-author-content\">\n<h2 class=\"fe-author-name\" itemprop=\"name\">\n<p>                Abhijeet Nalawade<br \/>\n        <\/h2>\n<p class=\"fe-author-bio\" itemprop=\"description\">\n<p>                Abhijeet Nalawade is a Senior Football Writer at Six Sports, providing in-depth coverage and expert analysis of football matches, player performances, and tactical developments. With extensive experience in football journalism, he specializes in delivering detailed insights and feature articles that keep readers informed and engaged.&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;<br \/>\nThrough his work at Six Sports, Abhijeet produces comprehensive football content, including match breakdowns, tactical evaluations, and analytical features. His writing combines clarity with expertise, making him a trusted voice for football enthusiasts seeking high-quality coverage of the sport.            <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"mvp-org-wrap\" itemprop=\"publisher\" itemscope=\"\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Organization\">\n<div class=\"mvp-org-logo\" itemprop=\"logo\" itemscope=\"\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"690\" height=\"145\" src=\"https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Six-Sports.png\" src-webp=\"https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Six-Sports.png.webp\" class=\"ewww_webp_lazy_load\"\/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"690\" height=\"145\" src=\"https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Six-Sports.png\"\/><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<meta itemprop=\"url\" content=\"https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Six-Sports.png\"\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p><!--mvp-org-logo--><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<meta itemprop=\"name\" content=\"Six Sports\"\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p><!--mvp-org-wrap--><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<!--posts-nav-link--><\/p>\n<div class=\"mentioned-article-block\">\n<h3 class=\"mentioned-title\">Mentioned in this Article<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<!--comments-button--><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<!--comments-->\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Share Share Share Share Email Arsenal is one of England\u2019s most prestigious football clubs, competing in the Premier League and European competitions like the UEFA Champions League. Known for its attacking style, rich history, and passionate fanbase, Arsenal has won numerous league titles and domestic\u2026 Read More about ARSENAL Arsenal stars are facing ban calls [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":173,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"pagelayer_contact_templates":[],"_pagelayer_content":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1164","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-arsenal"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportings.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1164","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportings.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportings.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportings.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportings.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1164"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sportings.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1164\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportings.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/173"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportings.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1164"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportings.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1164"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportings.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1164"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}