Manchester City disappointed with fixture schedule

Manchester City have been left frustrated after being handed a demanding run of fixtures in the closing weeks of the season, with four matches scheduled across an 11-day period in May. 

The congestion comes after the rearrangement of two postponed Premier League matches during a crucial stage of the title race and domestic cup campaign.

Pep Guardiola and his squad will host Crystal Palace on 13 May before facing Chelsea in the FA Cup final at Wembley on 16 May. City will then travel to face AFC Bournemouth just three days later on 19 May. 

The Palace fixture had originally been set for March but was postponed because of City’s involvement in the Carabao Cup final against Arsenal.

City are understood to be unhappy with how long it took for the Premier League to confirm the new dates. 

The club reportedly argued that the rescheduling process should have been resolved earlier, especially after the need for a new date became clear in February. 

Officials from City are said to have proposed several alternative dates for the Palace fixture, but those options were ruled out because of scheduling conflicts involving domestic and European competitions.

One proposal would have seen City play Bournemouth before the FA Cup final and face Palace afterward, giving Guardiola’s side additional recovery time before the Wembley showdown. 

However, that idea was dismissed because Palace were already committed to a league fixture against Brentford on 17 May, leaving little time for recovery before another match.

The Premier League also had to consider UEFA scheduling regulations, with European football’s governing body reportedly keen to avoid clashes with the Europa League final on 20 May. 

That restriction contributed to Bournemouth’s game being moved to 19 May instead. 

City, however, are believed to have pointed to previous instances where English clubs were allowed to play domestic matches on evenings that overlapped with European fixtures.

Despite the frustration, City remain firmly in contention for major honours this season. 

Alongside their FA Cup final appearance, Guardiola’s men are still battling for the Premier League title and will hope to maintain momentum through a hectic closing stretch that also includes league matches against Everton F.C., Brentford F.C., and Aston Villa F.C.