Furious Arsenal fans think they have figured out the main reason behind the rescheduling of their Premier League clash against Chelsea.
The fixture was originally planned to be played on 29 April at 5:30pm.
On Tuesday afternoon, it was announced that the fixture will now be played on 2 May at 8:00pm, after a decision made by the Metropolitan Police.
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A statement from the Premier League read: “We regret the need to move this fixture at late notice and the impact this will have on supporters.
“The initial scheduling of this match was approved by a Safety Advisory Group meeting in February.
“However, the Metropolitan Police has now revised its position regarding the kick-off time and requested a further SAG meeting which determined the match had to be rescheduled.”
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It is currently unknown what the main reason behind the decision was, it has been reported that they believe there will not be enough officers to police the match on the original date.
In addition, it has been suggested that a lot of officers have been asked to take a day off during the final weekend of April so that they will be available for the King’s coronation on 6 May.
This has led to Arsenal fans claiming that the real reason behind the rescheduling is due to officers wanting a day off, as reported by the Daily Cannon.
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Concerns have been raised about the potential quality of the Emirates pitch as it will host a women’s Champions League match 24 hours prior.
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Chelsea and Arsenal supporters’ trusts have released a joint statement blasting the decision.
It said: “This decision is totally unacceptable. It is an insult to those supporters who are attending.
“We are deeply disappointed that a confirmed fixture has been moved with just 18 days' notice after both clubs, the broadcaster, the Safety Advisory Group and the police had all confirmed it.
“This is not the first time that arbitrary and unaccountable decisions have been made by the police that will adversely impact our clubs and supporters.
“The decision will create a major inconvenience to supporters who will already have made travel and accommodation arrangements and will negatively impact those supporters attending the fixture.
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“We call on the Premier League to provide a fuller explanation behind these issues. We will take this matter to the Mayor of London who oversees the Metropolitan Police.”
SPORTbible has contacted the Metropolitan Police for comment.
Featured Image Credit: AlamyTopics: Arsenal, Chelsea, Premier League, Football