Crystal Palace's impressive 3-0 victory over Fulham on Saturday not only secured their place in the FA Cup semi-finals, but also had implications for the Premier League title race.
Eberechi Eze, Ismaila Sarr and Eddie Nketiah were all on target for Oliver Glasner's Eagles at Craven Cottage, leaving home manager Marco Silva fuming at referee Darren England's decision not to show Palace midfielder Adam Wharton a red card in the first half.
The win saw Palace become the first team to book their spot in the FA Cup semi-finals. As a result, they'll be heading to Wembley on the weekend of April 26-27, which means their Premier League clash with Arsenal, originally scheduled for April 26, will have to be rescheduled.
The new date for the match is yet to be confirmed, but with Arsenal facing Fulham in the Premier League on April 1, followed by a two-leg Champions League quarter-final against Real Madrid on April 8 and 16, options are limited.
Considering Arsenal's fixture at Ipswich on Sunday April 20, the earliest possible date for the rescheduled match would be Wednesday April 23. However, this is unlikely to sit well with Palace who would prefer a clear week ahead of their FA Cup semi-final, not to mention the short notice of the change.
It seems more probable that the match will be pushed back beyond the original date, although the exact timing will hinge on whether Arsenal progress past reigning European champions Real Madrid in the Champions League.
If Arsenal progresses, they will face either Paris Saint-Germain or Aston Villa in the semi-finals on April 29-30 and May 6-7, which would rule out those dates for the Crystal Palace match. The only remaining midweeks it could then be played are the weeks commencing May 12 and 19, but there could be further complications there should Palace reach the FA Cup final on May 17.
This situation could potentially benefit Liverpool, as the Reds might soon find themselves with a game in hand on the Gunners once again, and with an extra chance to extend their lead at the top to an unassailable margin.
Currently 12 points clear, Liverpool need a maximum of 16 points to win their 20th top-flight title and second in five years.
Both the Reds and the Gunners have at least four Premier League matches before the now interrupted weekend of April 26-27. If the Arsenal vs Palace match gets postponed rather than brought forward, and Arsenal drop any points in one of those four games, then Liverpool could clinch the title by beating Tottenham at Anfield on April 27 if they have won all of their preceding four games.
However, if the Arsenal vs Palace match is moved forward and Arsenal wins, this could delay Liverpool's likely coronation, possibly setting up a scenario where the Reds secure the title when Arsenal visit Anfield on the weekend of May 10.