Arsenal Emirates Stadium tunnel
Arsenal Emirates Stadium tunnel
The television schedule for November is where the season starts to look like a title race rather than a fixture list. Broadcasters pick the games they think will still matter in eight weeks, then move kick-off times around Europe.
That process always leaves some clubs with a Saturday tea-time away day and a Sunday 4.30pm at home. Supporters plan travel from those two slots more than from the rest of the month.
There is another international break in the middle of November as well. Three weeks of league football, then more empty weekends, then the games that have been saved for Sky and TNT.
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The Premier League has confirmed November’s live television selections, and Arsenal appear twice. They go to Newcastle on Saturday 21 November at 5.30pm on Sky Sports, then host Manchester City at the Emirates on Sunday 29 November at 4.30pm, also on Sky.
City sit top after five games following Arsenal’s 3-0 defeat at Brighton. The champions are three points behind heading into the current international break. Plenty can change before those two meetings, but the broadcasters have treated the Emirates fixture as the month’s title game.
Newcastle away is the first of the two. It is a 5.30pm Saturday on Sky, the slot that usually follows a European midweek. Arsenal’s Champions League calendar will decide how tight that turnaround is.
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The City match closes the month. Liverpool against Manchester United is on the same weekend, at Anfield on Sunday 22 November at 4.30pm on Sky. The first Merseyside derby of the season is the following Sunday, Everton against Liverpool at midday on TNT Sports on 29 November.
Other November selections include Everton against Coventry on Friday 6 November at 8pm on Sky, Frank Lampard’s return to Goodison as Coventry manager. Leeds host Tottenham at 12.30pm on TNT on 7 November. Nottingham Forest against City is that evening at 5.30pm on Sky.
Sunday 8 November is a busy Sky afternoon: Brighton against Brentford, Crystal Palace against Liverpool, Ipswich against Bournemouth and Sunderland against Chelsea all at 2pm, with United against Aston Villa at 4.30pm.
City against Fulham is on TNT at 12.30pm on 21 November, the same day Arsenal go to St James’ Park. Brentford against Everton is the Monday night on 23 November.
Several other fixtures have been moved because of Europa League and Conference League Thursday nights. Those clubs get the awkward midweek-to-weekend gap the Premier League now builds around.
For Arsenal the November picture is simple. Two live games, both on Sky, one on Tyneside and one at home against the side currently above them. The international break in the middle of the month will decide how many of the present first-choice side are fit to play both.
Mikel Arteta - Arsenal
Mikel Arteta - Arsenal