When will Arsenal vs City be rescheduled for?
By James Fudge
Tonight was meant to be the night when the Premier League gameweek 12 comes to life when two top teams battle it out for an advantage in the league.
Following the Liverpool defeat, City sit four points below Arsenal in the league, so any defeat at the Emirates will give Arsenal the early advantage going into the World Cup most likely. However, a win for City was imperative should it be two losses against their title rivals.
You can look at whether the game postponement has come at a good time for either team whether you look on the optimistic or pessimistic side of life.
Whether City overcame their stumble from Sunday’s disappointment and bounce back or continue their ‘struggles’ against an in-form Arsenal is up for debate, who are 27 points from a possible 30.
All we do know is that the match still hasn’t been rescheduled.
European group fixtures dominate the midweek games with UEFA calling for the groups to be solved prior to the World Cup, forcing the Premier League to abandon this fixture to prevent Arsenal from forfeiting their home tie against PSV Eindhoven.
That leaves the earliest the game can be played is post the World Cup, and likely to be January at the earliest because fixtures already planned on Boxing Day and 30 December rule out any possibility of a festive date.
However, January is looking a bit congested already with FA Cup rounds and Carabao Cup, providing both teams make it past the latter stages.
As it stands, Premier League matches are planned on the 2, 14 and 21 January while the Carabao quarter-finals are scheduled for the 10 and 11 January, with semi-final two-legs pencilled in on 25 January and 1 February.
February and March are also looking tricky with the return of knockout European football with both teams in command of their groups and likely to progress to that stage. International football break and Premier League congestion is also tied up in those months.
The reverse fixture is on 26 April so could we see a double-header that could determine the title or will the Premier League squeeze the fixture in to the detriment of players or fans.
We can only wait to see when two of the best teams in the Premier League will face off.