‘Doesn’t make any sense’ – Mikel Arteta asks Premier League to move Arsenal clash to ‘the most logical date to play’
MIKEL ARTETA hopes Premier League bosses can do Arsenal a festive favor.
The Gunners face playing twice in three days after their Carabao Cup quarter-final against Crystal Palace was postponed until December 23.
Palace’s request to reschedule the match from its original slot of December 16 was granted as they would have had a tighter turnaround time than Arteta’s men.
But both teams now have just over 48 hours left to recover from their respective Premier League commitments on December 21.
Arsenal are scheduled to face Everton that Sunday. But with the Toffees out of the cup and the Gunners free in the previous midweek, nothing – apart from TV deals – stands in the way of the match progressing.
Arteta said: “I hope they move the Premier League game (against Everton) because playing it on this date makes no sense.
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“So we will now decide the date. I am sure they will also change the date of the Premier League. I leave that to the club.
“I think we’re very clear on what was the best thing, the most logical date to play. They brought a different date, so I’m sure we’ll have to adapt to that.
“I think, as I said earlier, I’m sure we will apply the principles of the players first, then the fans, and then the timescales we need to have equality and the same chances for every club. So I hope it will be fair.”
Arsenal are fighting on several fronts this season and their team is already feeling the pressure.
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Viktor Gyokeres is the latest to enter the treatment room, joining Martin Odegaard, Kai Havertz, Gabriel Martinelli, Noni Madueke and Martin Zubimendi.
Leandro Trossard thus benefits from more playing time, but he remains concerned about the busy period ahead.
He said: “Obviously it’s not ideal. We already have a busy schedule with a lot of games, and if you play two games in three days, for recovery first, and then obviously (for) the fans, it’s not always easy to travel.
“But at that point you just have to deal with it, I guess, and that’s what we’re going to do now.”
“Obviously, it depends on the people who make the schedule at the beginning of the year. I think they should know that these kinds of things can happen, and with a lot of players already mentioning that there are a lot of games, I think they should (know).”