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

Arsenal will not be wearing their traditional colours in today's north London derby.

Arsenal will be forced to wear their away kit at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

Arsenal will be forced to wear their away kit at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (Image: GETTY)

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.

Arsenal's home kit for this season features more white trim than usual

Arsenal's home kit for this season features more white trim than usual (Image: GETTY)

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.

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