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Arsenal have voiced strong opposition to Crystal Palace’s request that their Carabao Cup quarter-final be played on 23 December, with Mikel Arteta insisting it would not be fair to make both teams play two matches in little more than 48 hours.
The tie is scheduled for Tuesday 16 December in a gruelling run of three matches in five days for Palace, who have a Premier League game at home to Manchester City two days earlier and a Conference League fixture against KuPS on 18 December.
With Arsenal facing Wolves at home 24 hours before Palace play City, Palace are believed to have argued that both teams should be given equal time to prepare for the quarter-final.
They would have accepted playing on Christmas Eve to give the players three days’ recovery time from their matches on Sunday 21 December but that was quickly ruled out after discussions with the Metropolitan police and Transport for London owing to concerns about the availability of public transport, with rail and tube services due to stop early.
Arsenal, as the home club in charge of matchday operations, were strongly opposed to playing on Christmas Eve. Wolves faced Chelsea on 24 December two years ago in the first Premier League Christmas Eve match since 1995, but that was a Sunday, allowing the game to start in the afternoon, which would not be possible this year because it is a working Wednesday.
Palace have since asked for Tuesday 23 December to be considered, with EFL sources indicating they favour that date on the grounds of fairness, given that Palace’s game at Leeds two days earlier kicks off at the same time as Arsenal’s trip to Everton. However, Arsenal are understood to have pushed back during talks with the EFL against the prospect of both teams playing two games with one day’s rest in between and are adamant the tie should be in the original slot. A decision is expected next week.
When it was suggested that the quarter-final could be moved to help Palace, Arteta said: “I don’t think that’s fair, because we have other competitions as well we have to try to accommodate. We knew at the start of the season the competitions that each club is playing in … On balance we have to try to accommodate the best possible way for everybody.”
Asked whether 23 December could be an option, he said: “No, there are others. There are others, believe me, there are other options much better than this one. We already suggested that.”
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His Palace counterpart, Oliver Glasner, said it would be “irresponsible” for his team to play on 16 December. “I can’t believe that it will be fixed in that way,” he said. “I think it would be irresponsible for the players. And everybody has a responsibility for the players … It’s dangerous, irresponsible to say that you should play Sunday-Tuesday-Thursday.” He said he was “really upset” wider scheduling issues had not been resolved by the leagues and governing bodies.
Arteta, who stressed that player welfare and supporters were the key factors in determining scheduling, warned that clubs could consider pulling out of competitions if issues with fixture congestion were not resolved. He said: “I hope we don’t go [that far]. If we have that big piece of paper with those two principles there in front before we make any decision, all of us in our industry, we won’t get there. If we don’t and we just ignore that, then anything is possible.”
Gabriel Martinelli remains sidelined and William Saliba is a doubt for Saturday’s trip to Burnley, where Arsenal hope to make it nine successive victories in all competitions, owing to an ankle injury. Arteta is hopeful the injured trio Martin Ødegaard, Kai Havertz and Noni Madueke could return after the next international break. “I’m excited because they are tremendous players,” he said. “I see them work every single day, how desperate they are to be part of the team.”
