Arsenal and Chelsea’s Premier League match rescheduled due to Metropolitan Police resources issue ahead of King Charles III’s coronation.

LONDON, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 06: Mikel Arteta celebrates with Thomas Partey of Arsenal after their sides victory during the Premier League match between Chelsea FC and Arsenal FC at Stamford Bridge on November 06, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 06: Mikel Arteta celebrates with Thomas Partey of Arsenal after their sides victory during the Premier League match between Chelsea FC and Arsenal FC at Stamford Bridge on November 06, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

Arsenal and Chelsea fans were left frustrated as their Premier League encounter, initially scheduled for April 29th at 5:30 pm, has been moved to May 2nd at 8 pm.

The Metropolitan Police cited resourcing issues ahead of King Charles III’s coronation on May 6th as the driving factor for the change. The late fixture adjustment will likely disrupt plans for fans traveling to the match.

In February, a Safety Advisory Group (SAG) meeting approved the original scheduling of the Arsenal-Chelsea match. However, the Metropolitan Police revised their position regarding the kick-off time and requested another SAG meeting, which led to the match’s rescheduling.

Fans are left wondering why the scheduling problem wasn’t anticipated when Sky Sports selected the match for broadcast in late February and the date of the Coronation has been known since January.

Coronation and police resources

The rescheduling comes in the wake of the coronation announcement on January 21st. The Metropolitan Police are advising officers to take leave on the final weekend of April, reducing the number of available personnel for the London derby.

Busy week at Emirates Stadium

The under-18s FA Youth Cup Final against West Ham United, initially scheduled for April 29th, could still take place, as it requires a smaller police presence.

Arsenal Women will face Wolfsburg on May 1st in the second leg of their Champions League semi-final, followed by the Arsenal vs Chelsea match on May 2nd.