Arsenal's Europa League trip to Ukraine descended into farce on Wednesday as their opponents Vorskla Poltava claimed they may not even play after UEFA moved Thursday's match to Kiev.
Ukraine's
parliament imposed martial law on Monday amid rising tensions with Russia and UEFA relocated the match 210 miles away from Poltava to the capital, citing security concerns.
Unai Emery's squad landed in Kiev on Wednesday evening to the news that Vorskla were unsure whether the game would go ahead, making a chaotic situation even more absurd.
Vorskla say they were not told of the stadium switch and were on Wednesday night still arguing that the match should be moved back to Poltava, though their players have travelled to Kiev.
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Unai Emery inspects the pitch at the Olympic Stadium in Kiev ahead of the match with Vorskla |
Henrikh Mkhitaryan, one of the few senior Arsenal players to have travelled to Ukraine, admitted on Wednesday it was a big blow for their opponents to lose home advantage.
Despite Vorskla's fury, the fixture is set to be played. Around 500 Arsenal fans had been expected to attend the Europa League clash but it remains to be seen how many will make it to the 70,000-seater Olympic Stadium on Thursday night.
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Youngsters Dominic Thompson and Emile Smith Rowe on the flight |
Arsenal, who have already qualified, can top Group E with a win, while victory for Vorskla, who feel UEFA have treated them unfairly, would give them a chance of qualification.
Speaking at the Olympic Stadium, where heaters were being used to prepare the pitch with the temperature set to plummet as low as -14C on Thursday, Emery said:
"It is UEFA's decision. In the 90 minutes, it is not a very big change. They are playing in Ukraine and not in their town but they can also move their supporters."
Mkhitaryan was more sympathetic, saying:
"It is a long trip and, for us, it doesn't matter where we play. For Poltava it is a big disadvantage because they wanted to play at home."
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Emery and Henrikh Mkhitaryan spoke to the media on the eve of the Europa League clash |
UEFA's decision to move the match has, of course, caused significant disruption as fans who had booked hotels in Poltava scrambled to find new accommodation and made their way to Kiev.
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Post Summary
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| Arsenal Fly To Kiev Despite Europa League Rivals Claiming They May Not Play
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Champions League
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Ukraine's parliament imposed martial law on Monday amid rising tensions with Russia and UEFA relocated the match 210 miles away from Poltava to the capital, citing security concerns.
Speaking at the Olympic Stadium, where heaters were being used to prepare the pitch with the temperature set to plummet as low as -14C on Thursday, Emery said: 
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