Arsenal vs Crystal Palace Carabao Cup Quarter-Final Rescheduled
The Carabao Cup quarter-final between Arsenal and Crystal Palace has been rescheduled from December 16 to December 23. This change comes just two days after both teams play Premier League matches away—Arsenal against Everton and Crystal Palace against Leeds on December 21.
Opposition from Managers
Both Oliver Glasner and Mikel Arteta have expressed strong objections to the new fixture date. The proximity to their Premier League matches raises concerns over player rest and recovery.
Requests to Adjust Premier League Matches
Crystal Palace and Arsenal have formally requested the Premier League board to move their December 21 matches to Saturday, December 20. This adjustment would provide an extra day of rest ahead of the Carabao Cup tie.
UEFA Denies Request to Reschedule Conference League Match
In addition, Crystal Palace’s request to UEFA to bring forward their final Conference League group match against KuPS from December 18 to December 17 has been rejected. UEFA requires all final group fixtures to start simultaneously at 8pm.
"UEFA insist all 18 final Conference League group phase fixtures must kick off on the same date, at the same time (8pm)."
Crystal Palace faces challenges coordinating multiple competitions due to scheduling constraints and regulatory rules from UEFA and the EFL.
Author's Summary
Fixture congestion and scheduling conflicts create challenges for Crystal Palace and Arsenal as key matches are tightly packed in late December, with governing bodies denying requested changes.