When the Carabao Cup quarter-final draw took place on 30 October, it set in motion a series of unfortunate events. Both Arsenal’s and Tottenham’s men’s teams were drawn at home, against Crystal Palace and Manchester United respectively. A week later, the dates of the fixtures were released, with Arsenal scheduled to host Palace on Wednesday 18 December and Tottenham playing the following evening, policing issues dictating that the north London sides cannot play at home on the same night.
The problem? Arsenal’s women were scheduled to play Bayern Munich at the Emirates Stadium in the Champions League on 18 December. Could the north London men’s fixtures swap dates? No, because Arsenal would have only one rest day before meeting Palace again on 21 December in the league. Could Arsenal host Palace on Tuesday 17 December? No, because Palace are at Brighton on Sunday 15 December, posing a similar problem. Meanwhile, Uefa regulations require the stadium to be available for the visiting team’s training and media obligations before Champions League fixtures. Could the Carabao Cup quarter-final be held in a different week? No, because between the end of the international break and Christmas Day, Arsenal play a midweek game every week. Can the Champions League fixture shift? No, because it must be played concurrently with Vålerenga v Juventus given it is the final round of group games.
