OPINION : Arsenal match postponement hurt Premier League title hopes amid Man City rematch success

Arsenal’s win over Manchester City brings up regret of Premier League postponement that could have played out very differently

MIKEL ARTETA REACTS | ARSENAL 1-0 MAN CITY
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This time last year, we were just over a week from the original date of Arsenal’s clash with Manchester City. It was a game which at the time could have opened up a seven-point gap for the Gunners had they repeated the result that they secured last weekend.

The reason the game was postponed is so that a rescheduled Europa League group stage fixture could instead be played with time running out to fulfil the clash while the league game could be moved into 2023.

The PSV game was postponed due to the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Fixtures began to pile up as a result of the rescheduling and had Arsenal been able to play the champions earlier in the season, perhaps things would have been different.

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For instance, in the weekend win over City, Arsenal had the benefit of starting Gabriel Jesus and bringing Thomas Partey off the bench. In the same fixture earlier this year, Partey suffered an injury within hours of the game’s kick-off.

Meanwhile, Gabriel Jesus was already out and recovering from a long-term knee injury suffered during the World Cup in Qatar over winter. Both players were fit and available for the fixture’s original date last October and therefore would have played against Man City.

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These were two huge losses and sadly Arteta’s side fell to a 3-1 defeat which included missed opportunities for stand-in centre-forward Eddie Nketiah and a defensive mistake by Takehiro Tomiyasu. Would the presence of Jesus and Partey change these occurrences to fall in the north London side’s favour?

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It is very difficult to suggest it would, but it isn’t impossible to theorise that it might. There are further benefits to having played City earlier.

The period in which City arrived in north London was during a run of 15 games in which they did not lose. By the time the run had ended, Man City had tied up the league with three games to spare.