Why are Arsenal not wearing red in north London derby? Away kit decision explained

Arsenal travel to bitter rivals Tottenham later today.

The Gunners begin a daunting run of fixtures with the first north London derby of the season as Mikel Arteta’s side face an early test of credentials.

Arteta saw his team held to a 1-1 draw with Brighton before the international break, a game to have robbed them of Declan Rice for the Spurs trip due to a controversial red card.

Their task got even more complicated over the international break too, with Martin Odegaard having suffered an ankle injury to have ruled him out of today’s short journey across the capital.

Whatever happens at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the latest instalment of one of the biggest games English football has to offer is already notable. For the first time in years, the Gunners will not be wearing red in the derby.

Why Arsenal are wearing their away kit vs Tottenham today

Arsenal have been banned from wearing their traditional red home kit. The Premier League and referee body PGMOL have declared the strip includes too much white on the back, which would create a clash with Spurs’ white home kit.

As part of the decision, Tottenham will not wear their white kit when they visit the Emirates Stadium in the reverse fixture in January.