Nimes have filed an appeal against the postponement of their Ligue 1 clash with Rennes this weekend, as Arsenal’s Europa League opponents try to gain an edge on Unai Emery’s side.

For those who haven’t been following the story, Rennes asked Ligue 1 to postpone Saturday’s game against Nimes so they could prepare for their match against Arsenal the following Thursday.

Although this might sound like a bizarre request to followers of the Premier League, it’s more normal in France, and Rennes were granted permission to delay the game.

Nimes are taking issue with the postponement though. According to French outlet Ouest France on Wednesday, the club have filed an appeal challenging the decision. This appeal is expected to be rejected, but it makes the whole situation seem like more of a farce than it already is.

There are five full days between the scheduled time of Rennes’ trip to Nimes and their clash at home to Arsenal. The Gunners have played plenty of games with as little as three days break this season. Just last week they defeated Southampton 2-0 on Sunday after beating BATE Borisov on Thursday. Five days is practically a holiday.

Even if Arsenal had the option to move their game at the weekend, I wouldn’t want them to take it. It’s important to keep the momentum going ahead of the key matches in your season, and the length of the break in between isn’t going to stop Emery playing a similar lineup in both fixtures.

It’s up to Arsenal to eliminate Rennes and prove this was all just a waste of time. For Europa League odds and to bet on the game, follow the link. Hopefully, it’ll be a good win for the Gunners.