It’s been a near-perfect start to the new season for Arsenal, who have won 9 of their opening 10 league games. However, perhaps their biggest challenge yet still awaits them as an already hectic fixture schedule becomes even more chaotic. The current league leaders were set to take on Manchester City tonight, but a postponement earlier this season has meant that the Premier League clash is being pushed back.
It comes after Arsenal requested for the game against City to be postponed in order to accommodate a Europa League match against PSV Eindhoven, which was unable to go ahead due to concerns surrounding policing issues in the capital relating to events following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
Instead, PSV will now visit the Emirates Stadium on Thursday, October 20, following talks with the Premier League and UEFA. As we await official confirmation on when Arsenal vs Man City will go ahead, football.london takes a look at the earliest possible dates for the fixture to be rearranged.
READ MORE: Why Arsenal vs Man City Premier League clash was postponed and when it could be rearranged
Considering Arsenal still have four games left to play this month, as well as another four to get through before the World Cup in November, it’s unlikely that the match against City will take place before the new year. The Premier League is pencilled in for December 26 and 31, leaving no available room.
That means January is the earliest opportunity to fit the match in, though it does depend on a couple of things. Should Arsenal progress to the knockout stages of the Europa League, which looks highly likely, they will not have to worry about that until February. The same applies to Man City and their Champions League campaign.
What both teams do have to bear in mind, however, is the FA Cup and Carabao Cup. As it stands, Premier League matches are scheduled for January 2, 14 and 21, while the third round of the FA cup is set for January 7. As for the Carabao Cup, quarter-finals are taking place across January 10 and 11, with semi-finals pencilled in for January 25 and February 1.
If Arsenal and City fail to beat Brighton and Chelsea respectively in the Carabao Cup third round in November, then the aforementioned dates of January 10, 11 and 25, along with February 1, will become free. Another potential outcome is Arsenal and City reaching the quarter-finals but failing to go any further. In that case, for example, it would just be January 25 and February 1 that are freed up.
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