Khaberni - Arsenal has rejected Crystal Palace's request to postpone their quarter-final match in the English Football League Cup to December 23rd, and their coach Mikel Arteta said it would be unfair for the teams to play two matches within just 48 hours.
The match will be held on December 16th, as part of a series of four tough matches in eight days. Palace will face Manchester City in the Premier League on December 14th and HJK Helsinki in the Conference League on December 18th, then travel to play Leeds away in the Premier League on December 21st.
Palace claimed that both teams should have equal recovery time before the quarter-final match, as Arsenal hosts Wolverhampton Wanderers on December 13th.
The South London club was open to the idea of playing on Christmas Eve, but this option was excluded after discussions with the Metropolitan Police and Transport for London, which indicated limited public transport services.
Arsenal, the home team, also refused to play on Christmas Eve, while Crystal Palace later proposed December 23rd as an alternative, two days before Arsenal's trip to Everton on December 21st, which coincides with Crystal Palace's match in Leeds.
Spanish coach Arteta warned that the issue of match congestion must be addressed with fairness and the players' interests in mind, otherwise clubs might ultimately consider withdrawing from competitions.
