Why Chelsea’s FA Cup victory has caused nightmare for Arsenal ahead of title run-in

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Chelsea secured a last-gasp victory over Leeds United in the FA Cup last night, and this result has created a nightmare for Arsenal.

Mikel Arteta’s side were set to face Chelsea on March 16th, in their final game before an International break ahead of a potential title-turning clash away at Manchester City on March 31st.

This would have allowed Arsenal to get a potentially tough game out the way ahead of the final two months of the season, and allow for less fixture congestion in the crucial final few weeks.

However, this game will now be postponed as a result, and there is a limited window of opportunity in which it can be played.

Arsenal face fixture congestion nightmare after Chelsea win

Journalist Simon Collings has now explained that, should Arsenal turn around their 1-0 deficit against Porto in the Champions League, there could be just one available midweek opportunity for the home match against Chelsea to be played after the International break.

“Chelsea through to the FA Cup quarter-finals, which clashes with their game against Arsenal on 16th March. Means Arsenal would play Porto on 12th March – and then no game until match at Manchester City on 31st March,” he posted on X.

“If Arsenal beat Porto and reach the Champions League quarter-finals, first clear midweek looks like w/c 22nd April. Arsenal travel to Tottenham that weekend, but could have to host Chelsea in the midweek before it,” he added.

Why are Arsenal’s fixtures now a problem for Mikel Arteta?

Arsenal will face two problems as a result of the Chelsea clash being rearranged. After their Champions League last-16 tie against Porto, the Gunners will not have a single game until a daunting trip to the Etihad, 19 days later.

Whilst this does mean that Arsenal can go with a full-strength side against Porto, the lack of matches between the two games could see Arteta’s side lose rhythm. With Arsenal in excellent form right now, disrupting their momentum may be coming at the worst possible time.

The even bigger problem is that later in the season, Arsenal will find themselves with a lot of tough games in a very short period. A trip to Wolves could potentially be tricky, and within seven days, this could be followed by the Chelsea game before a vital North London Derby away at Tottenham Hotspur.

If Arsenal reach the Champions League quarter-finals, they could potentially have five important games within two weeks, which will be a huge test of the squad’s character and strength in depth as they aim to compete for major honours.