Arsenal are looking into solutions to resolve a scheduling issue that has seen their men’s and women’s teams slated to play at Emirates Stadium on the same night.
The women’s side were set to host Bayern Munich in the Champions League at the ground on Wednesday, December 18, but the men’s Carabao Cup quarter-final against Crystal Palace has now been scheduled to be played that evening after the EFL released the quarter-final dates on Wednesday.
A club statement read: “We are liaising with UEFA, and further details regarding our UEFA Women’s Champions League match against Bayern Munich will be announced in due course.”
A few factors play into the clash coming to be.
From a men’s fixture scheduling perspective, Tottenham Hotspur are hosting Manchester United in the Carabao Cup on Thursday, December 19. Policing rules around crowding dictate that Arsenal and Spurs cannot play at home on the same night, which rules out pushing the match back a day. Arsenal have also been scheduled to face Palace on Saturday, December 21 in the late afternoon UK broadcast slot, which was announced on October 15.
Moving it forward a day (Tuesday, December 17) was considered, but is unrealistic given that Palace travel to Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday, December 15, which would have given them just one day between matches. As a result, Wednesday, December 18 emerged as the only day for the men’s fixture to be played.
🏆The schedule for the Quarter Finals of the Carabao Cup has now been confirmed and can be viewed below:https://t.co/aMJVg7I8G7#EFL | #CarabaoCup pic.twitter.com/8Gn7eoRnof
— Carabao Cup (@Carabao_Cup) November 6, 2024
The women’s team’s presence at the Emirates has been growing since the 2021-22 season. Ahead of this season, they planned to host 11 matches at the ground, with eight in the Women’s Super League and their three home games in the Women’s Champions League.
They have already played four of those matches this season, with one coming in the Champions League. Tickets for the Bayern game at the Emirates have been on sale since September.
The obvious alternative for the women’s team will be Meadow Park, their joint home alongside Boreham Wood and Arsenal Under-21s. Boreham Wood do not have a midweek game scheduled that week, but Arsenal’s Under-21s do host Sunderland on Monday, December 16.
The women’s side hosted this year’s Champions League qualifiers at Meadow Park in September, but it is not a given that this will be used for the Bayern match in December. UEFA require the use of a stadium for two days, with away teams often training at the host’s stadium the day before a game.
The Athletic has asked UEFA whether the corresponding fixture in Group C between Juventus and Valerenga would also have to be shifted given it is matchday six, the final round of group-stage fixtures where matches are traditionally played concurrently.
With a home game against Brighton at the Emirates this Friday (November 8), interim head coach Renee Slegers’ next press conference will be on Thursday.
(Clive Rose/Getty Images)
