Club proposed several alternative dates but these were ruled out due to scheduling conflicts
Manchester City have expressed their frustration over a congested run of fixtures at the end of the season, which they believe could have been avoided with earlier action from the Premier League.
City are set to play three matches in seven days as they continue their push for the league title and the FA Cup. Their rescheduled home game against Crystal Palace will take place on 13 May, followed by the FA Cup final against Chelsea at Wembley on 16 May, before an away league match against Bournemouth on 19 May.
The club’s concerns centre on the delay in rearranging the Palace fixture, which had to be moved after City reached the Carabao Cup final by beating Newcastle United in February. City believe the league did not act quickly enough, despite rules stating matches should be rescheduled at the earliest opportunity.
City proposed several alternative dates, but these were ruled out due to scheduling conflicts, including Palace’s involvement in European competition and restrictions from Uefa due to the Europa League final.
The club also suggested rearranging their match against Bournemouth to allow more recovery time after the FA Cup final, but that proposal was not accepted. It is understood the Premier League delayed final decisions until after the FA Cup semi-finals to provide greater certainty for supporters.
Elsewhere, Arsenal have also seen a fixture change, with their final home game of the season against Burnley moved to Monday, 18 May for broadcast reasons.
The change has drawn criticism from the Arsenal Supporters’ Trust, who said: “This timing creates clear difficulties for both sets of supporters, particularly those travelling or relying on public transport, and increases costs and disruption.
“As the final home game of the season, it also means the traditional lap of appreciation will not take place until around 10pm, making it less accessible for many fans.
“We did engage with Arsenal ahead of the most recent broadcast deal, recognising that clubs, including Arsenal, play a role in approving these agreements and asking that it give greater weight to the impact on supporters of games being moved.
“While we understand the significant financial benefits involved and how they support the club’s growth, we would urge both Arsenal and the Premier League to do more so that scheduling better reflects the needs of match-going supporters.”
