Arsenal‘s home game against Everton next month faces the prospect of being rescheduled with less than a fortnight’s notice. The Premier League have announced that the fixture, currently set for March 15, will be dependent on the Champions League draw taking place on Friday.
The organisation stated it had informed UEFA that Arsenal would be unavailable to compete the following Tuesday but has yet to obtain any guarantees from the governing body overseeing Europe’s premier club competition. Consequently, it has acted to warn supporters about the possibility of a late fixture alteration.
Everton are due to head to north London for a 2pm kick-off but that could be rearranged if Arsenal are scheduled to contest the second leg of their Champions League round of 16 knockout tie on March 17.
Manchester City‘s visit to West Ham United, scheduled for March 14, could also be shifted depending on the draw.
The Premier League stated: “The Premier League confirmed the above fixtures on 21 January and advised UEFA that clubs scheduled to play on Sunday 15 March would not be available to play Champions League fixtures on Tuesday 17 March.
“Unfortunately, UEFA has not been able to provide any guarantees on its scheduling ahead of the draw.
“As a result, the Premier League now faces the possibility of re-scheduling its fixtures at even shorter notice, at the inconvenience of supporters and clubs.
“The Premier League will continue its regular dialogue with UEFA over fixture scheduling.”
The prospective change follows Everton’s home fixture against Arsenal in December being rescheduled to a Saturday evening kick-off as part of late adjustments owing to the Gunners’ congested calendar.
This was largely driven by the club’s commitments in the Carabao Cup.