Why is Tottenham vs Arsenal North London Derby Delayed in the Premier League in both Halves?

The Premier League match between Arsenal and Tottenham was delayed for an extended period at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday.

As the two rivals are locking horns, the match took an early hiatus after the start of the first half. The Gunners made a positive start but then their spring was halted for an unusual reason.

Why was the Tottenham vs Arsenal Match Halted?

The match was stopped for around 7 minutes not for any injury or other issue, but because of a technical issue involving the assistant referee's communication device. In Premier League matches, such delays are common when referees halt play for on-field medical attention, VAR checks, or technical issues such as microphone or equipment glitches.

And on Sunday, the referee had an issue with his communication, which caused the delay. The assistant referee had to change his equipment and the match resumed after that. The first half ended 1-1 as the two North London rivals cancelled each other with goals from Arsenal's Eberechi Eze and Spurs' Randal Kolo Muani.

Technical Issue in 2nd Half as Well

In the second half, the issue further deferred the match. This time, it was from the start of the 2nd half as assistant Eddie Smart's device started to malfunction yet again. Both sets of players were on the field, but the resumption was delayed for the technical issue yet again, which has further raised questions.