Arsenal have confirmed that their their decisive group stage match against Bayern Munich in the UEFA Women's Champions League will take place at Meadow Park on Dec. 18 after a clash with their men's team's League Cup fixture forced them to change venues.
The Gunners were granted a special exemption by UEFA to be able to play at Meadow Park as the stadium does not fit the governing body's requirements to host group stage fixtures. Sources told ESPN that there were concerns that Arsenal would be forced to concede the fixture if UEFA could not grant permission for the game to be moved to the smaller venue.
"[UEFA] have granted special dispensation for the match to be played there, given the unique combination of factors that required a new venue following our men's team's home draw in the Carabao Cup quarterfinal," a statement from the club read.
"We thank members of our supporter groups throughout this time who offered valuable feedback, which was reflected in our dialogue with UEFA. We also thank UEFA for their collaboration to find a workable outcome."
Arsenal sit second in Group C after a mixed set of results: a 5-2 loss to Bayern Munich, a 4-1 victory over Valerenga, and a 4-0 triumph against Juventus.
Renée Slegers' team face the Italian side again on Thursday before a trip to Norway next month. Their showdown against the German champions to round out the group stage will likely determine their fate in reaching the knockouts.
The final group stage game for Arsenal was initially scheduled to be played at Emirates Stadium. However, the men's team's League Cup clash against Crystal Palace took priority as it could not be moved due to Tottenham Hotspur playing at home on Dec. 19 and the weekend's Premier League fixtures.
UEFA confirmed that Arsenal could not change the date or time of the fixture due to broadcast pairings. This situation was further complicated as the travelling team are obliged to be offered the chance to train on the pitch the day before the game, meaning Arsenal could not play on Dec. 19 instead.
Sources told ESPN that 7,500 tickets were sold for the match before it was delisted from the website. Meadow Park only carries a capacity of 4,500, so the club has been forced to refund all tickets purchased and will give supporters a 24-hour priority window to buy a new ticket.