Why are Arsenal wearing away kit rather than red vs Tottenham?

Arsenal will not be wearing their traditional home kit in today’s north London derby for the first time in nearly four decades. Mikel Arteta’s side will make the short trip across the capital to face their greatest rivals, with the local bragging rights firmly on the line.

In years gone by, Arsenal have worn their usual red and white against Tottenham but that will not be the case today. They will be playing in their black away strip after being banned from wearing their traditional colours by PGMOL and the Premier League.

It was determined that Arsenal’s home kit features too much white, which would clash with Tottenham’s home colours. The Gunners requested to wear red shorts and socks in order to reach a compromise, but the powers that be were unwilling to budge.

As a result, they will be wearing their all-black away kit at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this afternoon. It will be the first time Arsenal have not worn their home colours in a north London derby since 1985/86, when they donned a yellow and blue strip.

They will be hoping to maintain their winning record in their new away kit, having beaten Aston Villa while wearing it last month. The shirt combines a black base with red, white and green trim as a tribute to former Arsenal players David Rocastle and Ian Wright.

The colours previously featured in a limited edition trainer, which was designed to celebrate the friendship between the two club legends. The shoe was named the Honor Oak in reference to the area of London in which both players grew up.

Arsenal’s away shirt is matched with black shorts and black socks, giving it a sleek aesthetic. It remains to be seen if it will prove to be a lucky charm when the Gunners face Tottenham on away soil later today.

They will need to find a way to win in the absence of Declan Rice, who is suspended following his red card against Brighton. Martin Odegaard is also a major doubt after picking up an injury while on international duty with Norway in midweek.

If both players are ruled out of the fixture, Jorginho and Thomas Partey will be ready to deputise in the middle of the park. Kai Havertz could also move further back into a creative role with Leandro Trossard able to operate as a central striker when required.