Arsenal vs Tottenham delayed for six minutes after officials' technical issues

Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Sunday – The eagerly anticipated north London derby was unexpectedly halted for six minutes in the early stages after an assistant referee’s communication device failed, causing a scene that Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville branded “an absolute shambles.”

The disruption occurred moments after Arsenal’s Viktor Gyokeres dragged a seventh-minute effort wide of Guglielmo Vicario’s post. With Arsenal dictating the tempo and pressing high, referee Peter Bankes suddenly stopped play, jogged toward the technical area, and briefed Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta about the malfunction on the far-side touchline.

Players were left to pace the turf, perform brief stretches, and try to stay warm while technicians worked to restore the link between the match officials. Once the headset issue was resolved, the contest resumed with a goal kick in the 13th minute, and eight additional minutes were signalled at the end of the half to compensate for the lost time.

Neville, commentating live, did not hide his frustration: “This is ridiculous, the whole game cannot stop just because of an IT issue — this is an absolute nonsense, one of the most important games of the season and the players all now have to reset. Absolute shambles.”

When football finally took centre stage again, the drama continued. Eberechi Eze broke the deadlock in the 32nd minute, marking his fourth goal against Spurs this campaign, only for Randal Kolo Muani to level two minutes later, ensuring the first half ended with honours even despite the earlier hiatus.

The six-minute stoppage is unlikely to overshadow the result, but it will prompt fresh debate about the resilience of officiating technology in high-profile fixtures.