Arsenal launches 'The Big Match,' a blind date show for single fans

Arsenal are playing Cupid by launching a brand new dating show aimed at matching up single supporters through their shared love of football.

The Premier League club announced plans on Friday for a documentary-style series called 'The Big Match', in which Gooners will be set up on blind dates revolving around Arsenal games.

Couples will meet at a local venue before heading to the Emirates together, with cameras following them throughout and capturing post-match interviews to see if sparks flew over the 90 minutes.

An official statement from the club teased: 'Matchdays at Emirates Stadium are a time to connect with the beautiful game – and each other.

'It's for this reason that we're launching a new dating show that celebrates how a shared love of football can prove a catalyst for an even deeper romance.

'We are calling on our single supporters in the UK to apply to be part of the production, which will involve attending a blind date with a fellow Gooner centred around an Arsenal game.'

The show is currently in the casting stage, with single Arsenal fans across the UK invited to apply via a form on the club's website. Applicants must be 18 or over, single, and living in the UK legally. The deadline to apply is 11:59pm on April 11.

But before anyone gets too excited about finding love in the stands, the small print offers a few words of caution.

According to the terms and conditions, Arsenal 'intends but does not undertake to produce' the show, meaning The Big Match could yet end up as a non-starter.

Even if the cameras do roll, hopeful romantics are warned there's 'no obligation to produce and/or broadcast the Production,' and being filmed doesn't guarantee your date will make the final cut.

Also, if you're not completely honest about your relationship status or background, the club reserves the right to pull the plug. Background checks will be carried out, and successful applicants will need to sign a separate participant agreement - likely ensuring any first-date disasters are theirs to own, for eternity.

Still, for many fans, the chance to bond over a Declan Rice screamer or grumble together about another failed title bid may be just the kind of romantic icebreaker they've been waiting for.

One fan wrote on social media: 'Only Arsenal could combine heartbreak and hope so perfectly – both on and off the pitch.'