David Ornstein today reported that the police have been in touch with Arsenal to ensure they all adhered to quarantine restrictions upon returning from their trip around Europe but other clubs haven’t had any contact.

Police are supposed to check and, where necessary, enforce quarantine rules as the UK continues its battle to contain Covid.

They have done this with Arsenal with Ornstein stating they are the only side the police are believed to have checked on despite Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham all playing across the continent.

A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said: “Where Public Health England are unable to contact individuals who have travelled to the UK from overseas, they make a referral to the relevant police force. In such instances, officers endeavour to ensure that individuals have been provided with the correct information, are complying with the requirement to stay home outside of any exempted window, have completed the required tests on the correct dates and have satisfied the ‘test to release’ criteria.”

All very well and good, but why aren’t they checking on the other teams?

Ornstein adds, “All [Arsenal] players and staff were complying with the rules, which carry a penalty fine of up to £10,000, but there was some consternation about the intense level of monitoring, given all members of Arsenal’s travelling group had been tested for COVID-19 five times in eight days before returning to England and had filled out passenger locator forms. Players were understood to have shared messages on WhatsApp noting their surprise at police officers turning up at their doors.”

There is now no domestic football for the next two weeks as player’s jet off for a round of internationals that could end up derailing the rest of the season.