Arsenal were apparently reluctant to play Manchester City next week due to the short notice given to travelling fans but agreed to help ease City’s congestion after Pep Guardiola’s men convinced UEFA to let them play at the same time as a Champions League game.
You might remember Arsenal playing at 3.50pm earlier in the season because they weren’t allowed to play at the same time as a Champions League game and, despite signing a memorandum in 2017 declaring they wouldn’t schedule any Premier League games at the same time as Champions League matches after being fined by UEFA twice for doing just that, the Premier League and City have been granted permission – again – to schedule a game at the same time as a Champions League match.
But UEFA hate City, right?
Even though they allowed them to play against West Ham at the same time as a Champions League match just last month, too.
City wanted the game played next Wednesday due to having few midweek slots left, Arsenal were reluctant due to the short notice it gave travelling Arsenal fans.
City got what they wanted.
https://twitter.com/Arsenal/status/1234977677607464960
Imagine the Arsenal away end completely empty for TV fixture at Man City. Massive fuck you to all involved in taking the piss out of match going fans from the league to the TV companies & the clubs themselves. Pie it off & make a stand. UTA.
— RG (@GeezyPeas) March 4, 2020
They usually do.
That’s a large part of why they’ve thrown such a huge strop over finally being punished properly by the governing body.
They’re Manchester City, they should be allowed to do what they want, eh?