Mikel Arteta has urged the Premier League to reschedule Arsenal's match against Everton, as the EFL (English Football League) insists that moving fixtures risks undermining the League Cup. The rescheduling request comes after the EFL confirmed that Arsenal's Carabao Cup quarter-final against Crystal Palace has been moved to December 23.
The EFL's decision to move the Arsenal-Crystal Palace match was made to accommodate Crystal Palace's schedule, as the original date of December 16 would have meant the team would have to play four matches in eight days. Now, with the rescheduling, both Arsenal and Crystal Palace will face two matches within three days, as both teams are due to be in Premier League action on December 21.
Arteta voiced his concerns ahead of Arsenal's Champions League match against Slavia Prague, stating that playing two games in such close proximity "doesn't make any sense". He hopes the Premier League will move their match, adding, "So we will now decide the date. I leave that to the club. I think we're very clear what was the best thing, the most logical date to play".
When asked about the depth of his squad and the challenges of playing games in quick succession, Arteta responded, "We have seven players out, so I don't know what depth we're talking about now because we're missing a lot of players, a lot of front players". He emphasized the importance of respecting player welfare, saying, "If we continue to do that every three days….we want respecting again. What we discussed previously (on player welfare), that in our opinion it's the most important part".
Arsenal are already facing challenges with player availability, with key players missing due to injury. One such player is Viktor Gyökeres, who sustained a muscle injury in the match against Burnley. Arteta expressed his concern about Gyökeres' injury, stating, "I am concerned because he hasn't had many muscular issues and he had to do the pitch and he was feeling something...That's obviously never a good sign, especially for a player that is very explosive".
In response to the scheduling challenges, the EFL issued a statement acknowledging Arsenal's and Crystal Palace's frustrations, calling the situation "unavoidable" due to European commitments. However, the league also defended its position, stating, "to continue making endless concessions only serves to undermine the reputation of the EFL Cup – a competition which delivers vital revenue to EFL clubs and provides millions of supporters with the opportunity to back their team on the road to Wembley each season". The EFL insisted that it had shown "a willingness to compromise".
Arsenal forward Leandro Trossard echoed Arteta's sentiment, expressing frustration that players' views are not considered in calendar planning. "I would say so. Obviously it is up to the people who make the calendar at the start of the year," Trossard said. "I think they should know that these kind of things can happen and, with a lot of players already mentioning that there are a lot of games, I think they should".
