Why Arsenal vs Manchester City has been cancelled

• Football fixtures continue to get intense as we head towards the kick off of the 2022 FIFA World Cup
• Premier League has not been left behind with matches played during weekends and midweek 
• The busy scheduled has led to some match cancellations including Arsenal vs Manchester City which was due to take place on Wednesday 19 October

Top level football fixtures across the top leagues continues to attack our television screens as we firmly approach the winter months of 2022 which coincides with the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

However, with most sides in Premier League action in the middle of this week, there is one highly anticipated game originally scheduled for October which will not be taking place, and that is the clash between the top two teams Arsenal vs Manchester City.

The top two in the England’s top-flight were due to face off, but a spate of cancellations in England and some in Europe from September have seen the game pulled from the schedule.

Here’s why the match has been postponed and the latest news on the rearrangement.

Why is Arsenal vs Manchester City postponed?

The game between the number one and two of the Premier League Arsenal and Manchester City was postponed back in September.

Following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, games were postponed due to the extra demands placed on the police, including supervising the funeral on 19 October in London. Visitors flocked to the United Kingdom in the following weeks and the Gunners’ Europa League clash with PSV Eindhoven needed to be pushed back.

Arsenal is currently on top of the Premier League four points of second placed and third placed Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur respectively. | PHOTO: Arsenal FC |

A statement from UEFA as seeb by SportsLeo at the time read: “UEFA today announced that the UEFA Europa League tie between Arsenal FC and PSV Eindhoven, originally to be played on Thursday 15 September, has been postponed with a new date to be communicated in due course.

“This is due to the severe limitations on police resources and organisational issues related to the ongoing events surrounding the national mourning for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.”

UEFA then rescheduled the match for Thursday 20 October, when other Premier League sides are scheduled to compete in midweek action. That meant Arsenal and Manchester City postponing their fixture, which had been due to take place on Wednesday 19 October, to allow Arsenal the opportunity to fulfil the European fixture.

UEFA added: “The rescheduling of this match was possible after the decision of the Premier League to postpone the domestic match between Arsenal FC and Manchester City FC originally due to be played on 19 October.

Arsenal vs Manchester City was set to be played on Wednesday 19 October 2022 but the Premier League has postponed the fixture and are set to announce a new date for the fixture. | PHOTO: Courtesy |

“UEFA would like to thank the Premier League and the clubs concerned for their flexibility and cooperation in the rescheduling of the UEFA Europa League match which had been postponed due to the impossibility for local police forces to guarantee its secure staging.”

Despite playing a game fewer than both Bodo/Glimt and Zurich, Arsenal top Group A in the Europa League, sitting two points ahead of closest competitors PSV. Their two games against the Dutch outfit will play a major part in deciding who wins the group that the Gunners are highly expected to take home.

When is the new date for Arsenal vs Manchester City?

Premier League is yet to announce a new date for the highly anticipated clash, at the time of cancellation Premier League said: “A new date for the Arsenal FC v Manchester City FC fixture will be announced in due course.”

Organisers have plenty of experience in rearranging games after a couple of seasons filled with Covid-19 cancellations. However, with the World Cup taking up the better part of two months of the season in the winter, there are fewer available gaps to slot the game into and the match might be postponed to January after the World Cup scheduled to take place between November 20 and December 18 2022 when the final will be played in Doha Qatar.

All Premier League teams still have a fixture from September 10/11 to fulfil before the end of the season, with all games across gameweek seven called off following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.