The Premier League has agreed to reschedule two December fixtures involving Arsenal and Crystal Palace to alleviate a congested schedule ahead of their cup commitments.
Arsenal’s away match against Everton and Crystal Palace’s fixture at Leeds will both move from their original slot of Sunday, 21 December, at 14:00 GMT.
Both games will now be played the day before, on Saturday, 20 December, at 20:00 GMT.
Cup preparation
The change grants both London clubs an extra day of recovery and preparation for their EFL Cup (often referred to as the Carabao Cup) quarter-final, which is scheduled for Tuesday, 23 December.
The quarter-final date itself had already been adjusted by the EFL (English Football League) from 16 December. The initial scheduling would have forced Crystal Palace, who are also competing in the Conference League in Europe, to play three matches in just five days.
Despite the domestic fixture changes, Palace will still face a challenging turnaround, having to play two games in the space of three days: their Conference League tie against Finnish side KuPS on Thursday, 18 December, followed by the Premier League fixture on Saturday.
Arsenal confirmed that a potential proposal to play the EFL Cup tie on Christmas Eve was rejected, citing the negative impact it would have on both supporters and club staff. The Gunners added they would provide additional, subsidised coaches for the trip to Merseyside on 20 December, offering transport for £10.
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