- Premier League clash postponed
- PSV game rearranged
- New date to be announced
WHAT HAPPENED? UEFA asked for the date to be used for their Europa League game against PSV Eindhoven, which was due to be played on September 15 but was called off due to the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II amid concerns that police resources would be overstretched.
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Arsenal's game with PSV will now go ahead on Thursday, October 20 at 6pm, so that Group A will finish at the same time as all the other Europa League groups.
AND WHAT'S MORE: While European football remains on schedule, the Premier League is facing a fixture pile-up after all games last weekend were called off, following the Queen's death, and with few gaps in the calendar due to the mid-season winter World Cup in Qatar.
WHAT THEY SAID: “The Premier League has the ability to find [room for] the fixtures," Pep Guardiola said ahead of City's latest Champions League group game with Borussia Dortmund. "Maybe the Tottenham game will be in February or March because now I think it is not possible. We will find a way. There’s Carabao Cup, FA Cups at that moment – we will find a way, we are going to play this postponed game, it’s not a problem.”
STORY IN TWO PHOTOS:
GettyJONATHAN SMITH'S VERDICT: Arsenal may have had to forfeit their game against PSV had they not been able to rearrange their European fixture, so it makes sense that the game took precedence over the City clash. With police required for such a massive event, it's also understandable why certain fixtures have had to be called off in the capital.
However, the decision to call off last weekend's is looking like a mistake, particularly as football missed a glorious opportunity to pay its respects to the late monarch, just as other sports did.
WHAT'S NEXT? Arsenal's Premier League game with Brentford on Sunday afternoon will go ahead, as will City's trip to Wolves on Saturday lunchtime, however, Liverpool vs Chelsea, Manchester United vs Leeds and Brighton vs Crystal Palace have all been called off.
