<p>Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said on Friday he was surprised his side were forced to play their Premier League opener at Brentford last week despite a coronavirus outbreak that saw four players test positive.</p>.<p>Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Alexandre Lacazette, Willian and reserve goalkeeper Alex Runarsson missed the match.</p>.<p>An extra round of testing was carried out on the day of the Gunners' 2-0 defeat to the Premier League new boys, but Arteta was mystified as to why the precedent of matches being postponed in such circumstances from last season was not continued.</p>.<p>Manchester City, Fulham, Aston Villa and Newcastle all had games called off in the 2020/2021 campaign due to outbreaks.</p>.<p>"I was surprised, but the regulators decided that the best thing to do was to play the game," said Arteta at his pre-match press conference ahead of Chelsea's visit to the Emirates on Sunday.</p>.<p>"We did what we had to do through the club, through the club doctor, how things developed and the risk we could see there."</p>.<p>Aubameyang and Willian are in contention to return against Chelsea, but Lacazette and Runarsson remain unavailable.</p>.<p>Arteta added that most of his squad have received both doses of a coronavirus vaccine, but the decision on whether to get vaccinated or not was still a personal one.</p>.<p>"Most of them are double vaccinated, others have had one vaccine," added the Spaniard.</p>.<p>"We are trying to encourage them to get vaccinated because they are going to protect the people around them.</p>.<p>"It's a really personal matter, we are trying to guide them and explain the reasons to do it, but at the end it is a personal decision."</p>
<p>Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said on Friday he was surprised his side were forced to play their Premier League opener at Brentford last week despite a coronavirus outbreak that saw four players test positive.</p>.<p>Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Alexandre Lacazette, Willian and reserve goalkeeper Alex Runarsson missed the match.</p>.<p>An extra round of testing was carried out on the day of the Gunners' 2-0 defeat to the Premier League new boys, but Arteta was mystified as to why the precedent of matches being postponed in such circumstances from last season was not continued.</p>.<p>Manchester City, Fulham, Aston Villa and Newcastle all had games called off in the 2020/2021 campaign due to outbreaks.</p>.<p>"I was surprised, but the regulators decided that the best thing to do was to play the game," said Arteta at his pre-match press conference ahead of Chelsea's visit to the Emirates on Sunday.</p>.<p>"We did what we had to do through the club, through the club doctor, how things developed and the risk we could see there."</p>.<p>Aubameyang and Willian are in contention to return against Chelsea, but Lacazette and Runarsson remain unavailable.</p>.<p>Arteta added that most of his squad have received both doses of a coronavirus vaccine, but the decision on whether to get vaccinated or not was still a personal one.</p>.<p>"Most of them are double vaccinated, others have had one vaccine," added the Spaniard.</p>.<p>"We are trying to encourage them to get vaccinated because they are going to protect the people around them.</p>.<p>"It's a really personal matter, we are trying to guide them and explain the reasons to do it, but at the end it is a personal decision."</p>