Overview
- Crystal Palace want the tie at the Emirates moved to the following week, with December 23 or Christmas Eve discussed, while Arsenal prefer to keep December 16.
- Oliver Glasner labelled the proposed run irresponsible and urged FIFA, UEFA, the Premier League and the EFL to coordinate better on the calendar.
- Mikel Arteta said fixture decisions should be guided by player welfare and supporters and argued it would not be fair to reschedule given Arsenal’s own commitments.
- Palace face Manchester City on December 14, Arsenal on December 16, and KuPS on December 18, creating scenarios of four games in eight days or even five in roughly ten.
- UEFA dates are effectively immovable, no resolution has been announced, and recent history such as Liverpool’s 2019 compromise underscores the risks of an overloaded schedule.