Depending on whether you are a glass half full or glass half empty kind of Manchester City fan, you will either be frustrated or happy that City's Premier League fixture against Arsenal is not happening on Wednesday evening.
City suffered their first defeat of the season on Sunday when they lost 1-0 to Liverpool at Anfield, a result that leaves them four points adrift of current table toppers Arsenal.
Pep Guardiola's side were the only undefeated side left in the division; Arsenal lost to Manchester United at the beginning of September, but their otherwise perfect record means that Mikel Arteta's men have taken 27 points from a possible 30.
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Whether City would have bounced back from Sunday's disappointment or struggled against an in-form Arsenal is up for debate. What we do know is that the match still hasn't been rescheduled.
The game was postponed last month due to Arsenal needing to re-arrange a Europa League fixture against PSV Eindhoven for this Thursday (October 20). The Gunners match against the Dutch side was originally postponed due to concerns over policing resources in the capital following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
With other midweek dates unavailable due to European fixtures and the international break, this week represented the only opportunity for Arsenal to play their Europa League game before the World Cup to avoid forfeiting it. The Premier League therefore agreed to postpone the City match.
Considering that City and Arsenal both have seven and eight games left to play before the start of the World Cup respectively, the rearranged date is not going to be until the new year. Premier League fixtures on Boxing Day and December 30 rule out the possibility of a festive date.
January appears to be the earliest opportunity to play the match, as City and Arsenal's next European commitments would not come until February at the earliest. How both sides fare in the Carabao Cup and FA Cup could have an impact though.
As it stands, Premier League matches are scheduled for January 2, 14 and 21, while the third round of the FA cup is set for January 7. As for the Carabao Cup, quarter-finals are taking place across January 10 and 11, with semi-finals penciled in for January 25 and February 1.
If City and Arsenal fail to beat Chelsea and Brighton respectively in the third round of the Carabao Cup next month then January 10, 11, 25 and February 1 will become free. Should both advance but fail to reach the semi-finals, then January 25 and February 1 would work.
If both sides advance in both cup competitions then squeezing in a Premier League fixture is going to become even trickier than it already is.
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