Man City Face Four Games in 11 Days

Manchester City have been left frustrated after the Premier League rescheduled two key matches, leaving them with a demanding run of four games in 11 days next month as the title race reaches a crucial stage.

Pep Guardiola’s side will now host Crystal Palace on Wednesday, 13 May, before travelling to Bournemouth on 19 May. In between those fixtures, they will also face Chelsea in the FA Cup final on Saturday, 16 May, creating a congested schedule during an important period of the season.

The Crystal Palace match was originally set for 22 March but was postponed due to City’s participation in the Carabao Cup final against Arsenal. The Bournemouth fixture was also moved because of its clash with the FA Cup final. Discussions involving City, Palace, Bournemouth, and the Premier League eventually led to the new dates being confirmed.

However, City are unhappy with how long it took to finalise the schedule. The club believe the postponement decision was known on 4 February, when they secured their Carabao Cup final place, and argue the rearrangement should have been made much earlier.

It is understood the Premier League delayed the announcement until after the FA Cup semi-finals to give supporters more clarity over fixture planning.

City had proposed several alternatives, including playing Crystal Palace in late April or early May, but those options were ruled out due to other fixture conflicts and European commitments.

UEFA’s scheduling rules also influenced the final arrangement, particularly the need to avoid clashes with European finals, which affected the timing of the Bournemouth match. City had even suggested different combinations of dates to allow more recovery time before the FA Cup final, but these were not accepted.

The final decision leaves Manchester City facing a tight and physically demanding schedule at a decisive point in the season. They will play Everton away on 4 May, Brentford at home on 9 May, Crystal Palace on 13 May, the FA Cup final against Chelsea on 16 May, Bournemouth away on 19 May, and Aston Villa at home on 24 May.

Arsenal are also facing a busy period with three matches in seven days, including Champions League and Premier League fixtures, as the season reaches its climax.

Source: BBC Sports