Portsmouth vs Arsenal postponement fear explained as Mikel Arteta sweats over fixture nightmare

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Arsenal will hope that their FA Cup tie with Portsmouth does not suffer the same fate as Pompey's weekend postponement otherwise it could spark major fixture nightmare

Arsenal face Portsmouth in the third round of the FA Cup on Sunday as they look to progress through a competition which has given them nightmares in recent years. Early eliminations to Manchester United, Liverpool and Manchester City represent a record that Mikel Arteta certainly wants to change.

However, there is the fear that the game could be postponed after Portsmouth released the following statement ahead of the visit of Ipswich Town on Sunday: “Pompey’s Championship fixture against Ipswich has been postponed due to a frozen pitch.

“Referee Leigh Doughty made the call after an inspection of the Fratton Park surface at 11am. Portsmouth had been hit by overnight temperatures of below freezing, with frost covers having been laid since Friday.

“Information for supporters who had purchased match tickets or hospitality packages for this game will be announced in due course.”

Were Arsenal’s game to be postponed it would create a real nightmare for Arteta. The Arsenal schedule is already hectic after they reached the League Cup semi-finals, where they will play a double-legged affair against Chelsea.

In fact, Arsenal have midweek matches in play all the way up until the fourth round of the FA Cup set for February 14. It is possible that Arsenal play their third-round match on the weekend of the fourth-round games, with their own fourth-round tie played in midweek afterwards. While possible, it seems highly unlikely.

The benefit for now is that weather forecasts suggest temperatures on the south coast are set to rise, mercifully. BBC Weather suggests that temperatures will rise from an average of 3C to 9C by Sunday, with a steady increase over the week.

Far from the sub-zero temperatures that froze the Fratton Park pitch before the arrival of Ipswich. Therefore, those planning to travel down for the game should be encouraged that it will, hopefully, not be in vain like it might have been for many of The Tractor Boys’ fans this past weekend.