Manchester City have been left infuriated by the Premier League's lack of proactivity regarding the rearrangement of their fixtures, after a bid to switch matches across the final fortnight of the season was rejected. Pep Guardiola's side is set to play three times in seven days before the last weekend of their tense title battle with Arsenal.
City are scheduled to host Crystal Palace on May 13, then face Chelsea in the FA Cup final, before travelling to Bournemouth on May 19. They had been negotiating with the league about the possibility of reversing the Palace and Bournemouth fixtures, which would have allowed them to spread the three matches across eight days instead. However, due to opposition from rival clubs, City's request was turned down, and they are disgruntled by how the situation has unfolded.
The core of their complaint revolves around the Palace rearrangement. The original date for that match fell on the Carabao Cup final weekend, which City reached on February 4. City sources argue that the Premier League had ample time to organise an alternative date that would not have affected the final stages of the season. Additionally, there is confusion over how the trip to Burnley was quickly scheduled around the FA Cup semi-finals, and City claim the principle of rescheduling games at the earliest possible opportunity has not been followed.
The league referenced that all semi-finalists should play in the first available midweek before the Wembley fixture, but City insist the league handbook makes no such reference. City proposed three different midweeks to play Palace, with the most logical being the week starting April 19, which would have allowed the Burnley away game to be scheduled seven days later. The league apparently indicated that Palace's visit to the Etihad Stadium during the third week of April could work, but then announced that Oliver Glasner's side would host West Ham on a Monday night, scuppering those plans. City also suggested playing Bournemouth on Thursday, May 21, but that was rejected despite an initial positive reception.
