Play in Leeds United clash against Arsenal suspended due to bizarre issue at Elland Road - YEP 16/10/22
Play in Leeds United’s Premier League clash against Arsenal at Elland Road on Sunday afternoon was bizarrely suspended after 11 minutes as both sets of players went back to the dressing rooms.
By Lee Sobot
Arsenal kicked the game off through Gabriel Jesus but the
lights flicked off and back on again in the West Stand as part of a power cut
in Beeston.
It soon became apparent that the issue had affected the
technology being used by the match officials.
Referee Chris Kavanagh was evidently unable to communicate
with his team and Jesse Marsch and Mikel Arteta were both consulted as play
stopped for nearly nine minutes, leaving both sets of players to keep warm with
passing drills on the pitch whilst everything was reset.
But after 11 minutes both teams left the pitch and headed
back for the dressing rooms as announcements were read out over the PA system
that play was temporarily suspended and that the issue was being worked on.
Both teams then came back on the pitch at 2.32pm,
accompanied with an announcement that play would resume in ten minutes’ time
which would make the game a 2.42pm kick-off.
Leeds were able to reset the technology quickly but the
Premier League needed time to reset their systems at Stockley Park.
The game eventually resumed at 2.40pm having initially been
halted after 69 seconds.