Arsenal were the latest team to have a game postponed in the Premier League, with their north London derby clash with Tottenham postponed over the weekend.
A number of Covid cases, coupled with other injuries and Africa Cup of Nations absentees, left Mikel Arteta with glaring gaps throughout his first-team and so a request was put into the Premier League who, much to the frustration of Spurs, approved it.
Games continue to get called off across the top-flight and future congestion looks set to cause chaos with the fixtures of every club over the next few weeks.
With that in mind, football.london takes a look at Arsenal's next six matches and how Arteta and his players will fare with games coming thick and fast.
Liverpool (H) - January 20
First up over the next six games is the second leg of their Carabao Cup clash with Liverpool, after the first game ended in a 0-0 draw.
Granit Xhaka was sent off in the opening leg at Anfield and will be missing for the decisive game at the Emirates, adding more trouble for Arteta in midfield, with Thomas Partey and Mohamed Elneny still away at the Africa Cup of Nations.
But the Reds have also been hit hard by the tournament, with Mohamed Salah, Naby Keita and Sadio Mane all on duty in Cameroon this month, so the tie remains very much in the balance.
Burnley (H) - January 23
There is a chance that Arteta will have both Partey and Elneny back and available for the visit of Sean Dyche's side on Sunday- but it will depend on how Ghana and Egypt's final group games go.
Partey is most likely to return, with Ghana needing a win against Comoros in their final game to qualify either in second, or as one of the best third-place sides. With Egypt sat in second on three points, it is likely Elneny will be missing a bit longer, however.
But Arsenal fans will be expecting a comfortable three points against Burnley - with or without a full midfield quota - particularly with the Tykes recently losing star striker Chris Wood to Newcastle.
Wolves (A) - February 10
Arsenal's first meeting with Bruno Lage's Wolves has come slightly later than planned, after the Emirates clash on December 28 was postponed following a Covid outbreak among the opponents.
But Wolves have become a tough nut to crack in recent weeks, with their only two defeats in their last seven matches coming against Manchester City and Liverpool.
In that period they have held Chelsea to a 0-0 draw and beaten Manchester United at Old Trafford, so Arteta and co. will need to be at their best to get a result at Molineux.
They currently sit just four points behind the Gunners and will know a win at this point will give their European chances a huge boost.
Brentford (H) - February 19
Arteta will be out for revenge at the Emirates in February after the Gunners were humbled by Brentford on the opening day of the season.
If Arsenal are to achieve a top-four finish this season then it is matches like this they will need to win. They currently sit in fifth place but with two games in hand on West Ham above them.
They were bullied and humbled by an energetic Brentford in August, but with a full strength squad at his disposal, Arteta will be hopeful of getting the better of them this time around.
Watford (A) - March 5
With this clash sitting nearly two months away, it is hard to predict who will be in charge of the Hornets but Arsenal will be hoping they don't catch Watford in the midst of a new manager bounce.
A comfortable 1-0 win secured three points against Claudio Ranieri's side at the Emirates, but Watford can often be a different beast in front a of a fired up Vicarage Road crowd.
Playing relegation candidates at this stage is never as ideal as it looks at first, with there being plenty for them to scrap for, but it is a game Arsenal should be winning.
Leicester (H) - March 12
The Foxes were expected to be one of Arsenal's fiercest rivals for a European spot this season, but a plethora of injuries have left Brendan Rodgers and co. languishing in 10th place in the table.
However, with two games in hand on the Gunners, this fixture could take on much greater importance when March eventually rolls around.
Leicester have enjoyed plenty of success against them in recent years and Jamie Vardy likes scoring against Arsenal more than any other side, so either way, this looks set to be a tough test.
