Arsenal Boss Mikel Arteta Slams Palace's 'Unfair' Carabao Cup Request
The Gunners' manager has strongly opposed Crystal Palace's request to move their quarter-final tie against the Eagles from December 16 to 23, citing concerns about player welfare and fixture congestion. Arteta believes that playing both teams on consecutive days would be unfair, given Arsenal have a Premier League game at Wolves just 24 hours before.
The Palace manager Oliver Glasner has also expressed his opposition to the original schedule, stating it would be "irresponsible" for his team to play only two days after a long weekend. He believes that the current scheduling system is flawed and needs urgent attention from governing bodies.
Arteta emphasized that player welfare and supporters are key factors in determining fixture schedules. He warned that clubs may consider pulling out of competitions if issues with congestion are not resolved, saying: "If we don't have that big piece of paper with those two principles there in front of us before we make any decision, all of us in our industry won't get there."
Arteta is hopeful that Arsenal's injured trio, including Martin Ødegaard and Kai Havertz, could return to action after the next international break. The team will face Burnley on Saturday, aiming for their ninth successive victory in all competitions.
The Carabao Cup quarter-final tie remains scheduled for December 16, with both teams set to play just two days apart.
The Gunners' manager has strongly opposed Crystal Palace's request to move their quarter-final tie against the Eagles from December 16 to 23, citing concerns about player welfare and fixture congestion. Arteta believes that playing both teams on consecutive days would be unfair, given Arsenal have a Premier League game at Wolves just 24 hours before.
The Palace manager Oliver Glasner has also expressed his opposition to the original schedule, stating it would be "irresponsible" for his team to play only two days after a long weekend. He believes that the current scheduling system is flawed and needs urgent attention from governing bodies.
Arteta emphasized that player welfare and supporters are key factors in determining fixture schedules. He warned that clubs may consider pulling out of competitions if issues with congestion are not resolved, saying: "If we don't have that big piece of paper with those two principles there in front of us before we make any decision, all of us in our industry won't get there."
Arteta is hopeful that Arsenal's injured trio, including Martin Ødegaard and Kai Havertz, could return to action after the next international break. The team will face Burnley on Saturday, aiming for their ninth successive victory in all competitions.
The Carabao Cup quarter-final tie remains scheduled for December 16, with both teams set to play just two days apart.
. I mean, two days in between an international break and a cup quarter-final tie is just too much to handle. And Arteta's right, if they don't sort this out soon, clubs might start pulling out of competitions altogether. It's not about the teams wanting to slack off, it's about making sure players are healthy and rested for the big games 
️. We need a better system in place, stat! 
... I mean, come on, it's the Carabao Cup! It's not like it's a top priority or anything 
. Both Palace and Arsenal are already in their winter break season, so if they can't make it work, maybe they should just have a shorter tournament? Wouldn't that be less grueling for teams and players? 
it's not exactly the most player-friendly schedule, especially considering they've got another Premier League game just 24 hours later...arteta's right, we need some better scheduling rules in place to avoid burnout. and yeah, palace are also giving me same vibes 
i don't know how much more of this congestion we can take before teams start opting out of comps altogether. can't they just find a way to space things out a bit more? 
gotta hope arteta's squad can get some of their injured players back in time tho 
And I feel for the teams that are already injured, it's gonna be tough to get back in the game so soon. Hopefully, they can figure out this scheduling thing ASAP so we can all enjoy the games without worrying about player fatigue 
It's like, players need time to recover and recharge, you know? And fans are getting burned too - all the travel, the fatigue... not to mention the injuries 
. We need some reform ASAP! Maybe it's time for the governing bodies to take another look at how we organize our competitions? 
and what about the fans? i know some people love the fast pace of football but it's getting old 
arteta's right, we need better planning for these situations 
my body would be all over the place if i had to recover from a game one day and then play again two days later 
and it's not just about the players, think about the fans too! they deserve better than a stressful cup competition that prioritizes congestion over enjoyment 
#FixTheSystem. I mean, think about it, one day of rest isn't gonna hurt anyone 
#PlayersFirst. It's time to put the players' well-being and fan experience at the forefront when scheduling games 
#SchedulingRevolution. Maybe we need a bigger conversation about how competitions are organized? 
it's all about player welfare and supporter happiness, can't we just work together for once? 
and what's with the lack of planning, how can you just change the schedule like that at the last minute? 
it's not fair to teams or fans, someone needs to step up and sort this out ASAP 
. arteta's got a point about fixture congestion tho, especially with premier league games coming up so soon. the schedule is already pretty brutal as it is, might as well just stick to the original plan 
... wait no, that's not what I mean. I think Arsenal is being super reasonable and right for once 
! But then again, maybe they're just trying to screw Palace over 
... or are they? I don't know, man... maybe the scheduling system does need a revamp... but it's also possible that both teams are just being dramatics 
. Honestly, I'm kinda on edge about this whole thing 
... I mean, we've already got Wolves next day so that's just asking for trouble. And what's with the governing bodies not doing anything about it? Like, come on guys, get your act together! 
. and it's not just about the teams playing each other, but also the travel fatigue and time off between games 
. i'm with arteta on this one, let's get that schedule sorted ASAP so we can focus on enjoying the matches instead of stressing about when to play next 
.