The first men’s North London derby at Tottenham Hotspur’s new stadium could face yet another delay, as this season’s fixture may take place at a neutral venue.

LONDON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 09: Nicolas Pepe of Arsenal celebrates after scoring his sides second goal with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang during the Premier League match between West Ham United and Arsenal FC at London Stadium on December 09, 2019 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND: Nicolas Pepe of Arsenal celebrates after scoring at the London Stadium on December 09, 2019. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

The Mirror report that the North London derby could potentially take place at a neutral venue – West Ham’s London Stadium. Police are arguing that ‘high-risk games’ should be played in neutral locations, unlike all the other matches.

That includes the Merseyside derby, the North London derby and Spurs vs West Ham, among others.

There’s no decision on the matter just yet. The clubs will vote to formalise all matters next Thursday, and they hope to convince the authorities to allow all games to take place in their own stadiums before then.

If they fail, it’s yet another delay for the Arsenal men’s first trip to the stadium.

The two teams were meant to play at the ground last March, but Spurs’ inability to finish construction on time meant the game took place at Wembley. Then, as this season’s derby on April 26th drew closer, the pandemic suspended the campaign.

Now, as football is getting back underway, it looks like the game might not even take place in the stadium. Someone is trying to tell us something.

Of course, the Arsenal Women already won the very first derby at the stadium. For now, that remains the only fixture between the two sides at the ground.