The Premier League has approved a rescheduling of Arsenal and Crystal Palace matches in December to ease fixture congestion and ensure player welfare ahead of the busy festive period.

Rescheduled Premier League Matches

Arsenal’s away trip to Everton and Crystal Palace’s league match at Leeds United, both initially set for 14:00 GMT on Sunday, 21 December, will now kick off at 20:00 on Saturday, 20 December.

The adjustment gives both clubs an extra day to prepare for their EFL Cup quarter-final matches scheduled for 23 December, a change welcomed by managers and players. The move comes after the EFL shifted the cup fixture from its original date of 16 December. The change was made to avoid Palace, who are also competing in the UEFA Conference League, from playing three matches in just five days.

Despite this adjustment, both teams will still face a challenging schedule. Crystal Palace is set to play a Conference League tie against KuPS of Finland on Thursday, 18 December, meaning they will have two matches in the space of three days.

European Scheduling Challenges

Crystal Palace had requested to move the European tie a day earlier, but UEFA rejected the request, citing concerns over compromising the integrity of the competition. Similarly, Arsenal’s suggestion of playing the EFL Cup tie on Christmas Eve was rejected due to the potential impact on fans and club staff.

To assist supporters with the adjusted schedule, Arsenal has confirmed that they will provide additional coaches for the trip to Merseyside on 20 December at a subsidized price of £10.

Clubs and Premier League Considerations

The decision to move the two Premier League fixtures followed requests from both clubs, with player recovery time ahead of the EFL Cup tie being a key factor. Television broadcast schedules are also understood to have played a role in the timing of the matches.

The Premier League stressed that the changes prioritize player welfare:
“Player welfare is a priority for the Premier League, and we have therefore granted requests from Arsenal and Crystal Palace to move their respective fixtures,” a spokesperson said.

“This comes after the scheduling of matches from other competitions around Premier League fixtures without adequate player recovery time. It also highlights the impact that expanded UEFA competitions have on the domestic fixture calendar.”

While the 20:00 kick-off may present logistical challenges for traveling supporters, the league emphasized that ensuring adequate recovery time for players was the primary consideration in making the adjustments.

Impact on Arsenal and Crystal Palace

Arsenal and Crystal Palace now have a clearer path to prepare for their busy December schedules, balancing Premier League, EFL Cup, and European competition commitments. The schedule changes provide both squads with the opportunity to maintain peak performance while reducing the risk of player fatigue or injury during the congested festive period.