English football's governing body have announced the date that the Gunners will take part in their fifth-round replay, after lengthy discussions to find a suitable date
Arsenal will play their FA Cup fifth-round replay against Hull City at 7pm on Tuesday March 8, the governing body revealed, following a 0-0 draw at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday.
The match, which will be played at Hull's KC Stadium, had been the subject of discussions between the relevant parties, with the possibility of a 5:45pm kick-off ruled out in order to maximise fans' chances of attending the game.
The winner of the clash will progress to a sixth-round tie against Watford but a statement released on the FA's official website acknowledged that the decision "is not an ideal solution for everyone", recognising that both Arsenal and Hull are challenging for honours at the top of the Premier League and Championship respectively.
Fixture scheduling has attracted headlines in recent weeks, with debate around FA Cup replays prompted by comments from Jurgen Klopp and Manuel Pellegrini, who fielded a team largely made up of youth team debutants in Manchester City's 5-1 fifth-round defeat to Chelsea on Sunday.
And moving to allevite such concerns, the FA's chief executive, Martin Glenn said: "We want all of our clubs to be part of strong, vibrant domestic competitions, to perform well on the European stage and for the England team to be challenging for international honours.
"To have a better chance of achieving these aims more effectively, it is imperative we resolve the on-going problem of match scheduling together."
- Goal