Arsenal's Premier League fixture against Everton at the Hill Dickinson Stadium has been rearranged.
The match will now kick off on December 20 at 8 pm. It's believed the change follows a request from Arsenal. The fixture was originally set for December 21, but Mikel Arteta indicated he was "super optimistic" the Premier League would grant the club's appeal.
The move must be seen as a positive for Arsenal in its pursuit of a first Premier League title in 22 years; the Gunners have opened up a four-point gap on Manchester City in second and an eight-point advantage over struggling Liverpool in eighth.
Crystal Palace has similarly confirmed its clash with Leeds, initially scheduled for December 21, has been postponed to the same date as Arsenal's visit to Merseyside.
The rescheduling provides the Gunners with an extra day's rest before their League Cup quarterfinal tie against Crystal Palace on December 23.
Palace will also gain from the adjustment, though it faces a Conference League commitment on December 18 after UEFA turned down a request to move that fixture to Wednesday.
Arsenal is chasing Liverpool's Premier League title
Arsenal is chasing Liverpool's Premier League title (Image: Getty Images)
The Gunners issued an official statement on their website explaining the revised date and time:
It read: "As our match against Everton was originally selected for live broadcast in the UK, the fixture had to transfer to an available broadcast slot, which is identified as 8pm on Saturday, December 20.
"Both Everton and the Premier League have approved the match to proceed at this new time.
"Crystal Palace's Premier League match away to Leeds United is also being played on Saturday, December 20, with an 8pm kick-off."
Arsenal has also announced that they will be providing support to the club's travelling fans:
The club added: "The welfare of our players, supporters, and staff is our priority, and we fully understand this change of date may result in challenges for supporters travelling to Liverpool for the game.
"Therefore, we are organizing additional supporters' coaches for this match. All coach travel will be subsidised for supporters, priced at £10 for the return journey to Everton
"Match tickets and coach travel for the Everton match will go on sale on Monday, November 17."