UEFA reject Crystal Palace request as Arsenal fixture fiasco takes fresh twist

Arsenal and Crystal Palace’s Carabao Cup quarter-final clash is currently scheduled to take place on December 23 – just two days after the two sides face Everton and Leeds respectively in the Premier LeagueUEFA have rejected a request from Crystal Palace to reschedule their final Conference League group fixture vs KuPS

Crystal Palace have been dealt a fresh blow in their quest to find a suitable date for next month’s Carabao Cup quarter-final tie against Arsenal.

The clash, initially pencilled in for December 16, is now scheduled to take place on December 23.

However, Oliver Glasner and Mikel Arteta have both made it clear they are strongly against the EFL’s latest proposal as the rearranged fixture now falls just two days after their respective Premier League away matches at Leeds and Everton on December 21.

It’s understood Palace and Arsenal have both submitted formal requests to the Premier League board in a bid to bring forward those top-flight matches to Saturday December 20, enabling an extra day of rest for their players.

Amid those discussions, Mirror Football can reveal the Eagles have also seen a request rebuffed by UEFA to move their final Conference League group fixture against Finnish outfit KuPS (scheduled for December 18) forward to Wednesday, December 17.

UEFA insist all 18 final Conference League group phase fixtures must kick off on the same date, at the same time (8pm).

READ MORE: England squad announced as huge Jude Bellingham decision made by Thomas TuchelREAD MORE: Arsenal and Crystal Palace make request to Premier League amid fixture chaos

The decision comes as a major setback for Palace, who are already facing an uphill task to convince the Premier League to reschedule their fixture against Leeds, because even if their trip to Elland Road was brought forward to Saturday December 20, they would still have less 48 hours to prepare for the game.

Meanwhile, EFL sources do not anticipate any further changes to the quarter-final schedule and expect Arsenal versus Palace to go ahead as planned on December 23.

Premier League chiefs feel the fiasco is a consequence of the recent expansion of UEFA competitions and additionally, the top-flight fixture schedule for that particular weekend had already been agreed prior to the Carabao Cup schedule.

Everton and Leeds are also seeking clarity on their home matches against Arsenal and Leeds as the lingering uncertainty is unhelpful for supporters looking to attend those games.

Palace are currently facing the prospect of playing four games in nine days next month. The gruelling run starts when they host Manchester City on December 14 before the visit of KuPS and the trips to Leeds and Arsenal.

Glasner did not hold back ahead of his side’s 3-1 win over AZ Alkmaar as he hit out at football’s authorities for failing to prioritise player welfare.

Arsenal and Crystal Palace are both fighting hard to find a resolution for their Carabao Cup quarter-final clash(Image: Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

The Austrian said: “It’s not about the welfare of the players. It’s not about talking together and find what’s best. Everybody is just looking at himself to maximise the money.

“That’s the situation. Now we can say it’s the UEFA schedule. It was clear this week before Christmas there is the Conference League played. It’s clear, 99 per cent, that the English participants will play there. So why fix the Carabao quarter-final there? Why? I just don’t understand. Again, it was clear.

“Then I think, maybe somebody corrects me, there is a hierarchy in football. So it’s the UEFA games, it’s the Premier League games and then I don’t know how it’s FA or EFL or it’s on the same level. And then if there is a UEFA game day, you can’t say we play the quarter-final.”

Arteta, speaking ahead of his side’s trip to Sunderland, remains confident the Premier League will step in and prevent both Arsenal and Palace from playing twice in just three days.

Mikel Arteta remains confident common sense will prevail and Arsenal’s Premier League fixture vs Everton will be brought forward(Image: Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)

The Spaniard said: “Well I’m super optimistic that this is not going to be the case because from every angle, from the Premier League, from the EFL, from UEFA, all the time the only thing that we talk about is the welfare of the players and the supporters and if we want to maintain that principle that cannot be the case and we cannot play Sunday and Tuesday.

“So we have very positive talks to the clubs and to the Premier League, and hopefully we’ll find a way to help as much as possible because sometimes you cannot help 200 people out there that they have an issue but for that reason you cannot say if I can help 100 I’m not going to do it because what about the other 100? No, no, no. Help 100. If you can help 100 and the other 100 next time you have the opportunity do it as well and I think we need to be very thorough and we cannot allow ourselves to put in that situation.”

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