Arsenal manager Arteta hits back at 'lies' over Tottenham postponement | OneFootball

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has hit back at critics over postponement of last weekend's North London derby.

The Gunners successfully applied to have the game postponed due to an insufficient number of available players.

Tottenham manager Antonio Conte called the decision 'very strange' and questioned why the Premier League had called a game off if Arsenal had suffered injuries and players away on international break.

Arteta has furiously hit back at those critics, stating ahead his side's Carabao Cup semi-final second leg against Liverpool: "We will defend our club with teeth and nails.

"We're not going to get anybody damaging our name or trying to spread lies.

"We didn't have the players necessary to compete in a Premier League match. That is 100 per cent. We postponed the match for all the right reasons.'

"I think more than hate there is a lot of respect for Arsenal and that comes from the history of the club, how it's always acted and how it's always conducted itself.

"We know we did the right thing. We worked with the Premier League and the FA to make that decision. If anything we've been very honest at least."