Arsenal boost as Man City’s desperate Premier League request to be denied

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Arsenal boost as Man City's desperate Premier League request to be denied

Manchester City had made a request to the Premier League for special permission to reschedule two of their showdowns in the title race

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The Premier League are set to reject Manchester City's efforts to reschedule two top-flight fixtures during the title race with Arsenal. Pep Guardiola's side made efforts to swap their encounters with Bournemouth and Crystal Palace to avoid a run of three games in seven days.

The trio of fixtures come at the business end of the season with an FA Cup final against Chelsea sandwiched in between on May 16. City asked for special permission from the top-flight governing body to reorder their matches for their home clash with Palace and the trip to the Vitality Stadium to face Andoni Iraola's men.

It has been said that the view to playing Bournemouth first would allow them to spread the matches across eight days rather than seven, avoiding the physical and mental toll of the relentless Premier League schedule. According to the Mirror, City are due to play four games in 12 days prompting chiefs to ask the league for a change but it has been said that they will stick to their guns forcing a hectic schedule on Arsenal's title rivals.

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Premier League standard protocols dictate that the Palace home game should take precedence on May 13, three days before the FA Cup sihowpiece, while the rescheduling has been further complicated by UEFA due to Palace's involvement in the Conference League. The European body are said to be keen to avoid clashing with Palace's congested schedule.

As a result of the failed talks, City face a Wednesday-Saturday-Tuesday schedule meaning they will travel to the South Coast 48 hours after their afternoon at Wembley Stadium.

City, who were involved in the Club World Cup last summer, have endured a spike in injuries of late with Ruben Dias and Rodri facing spells on the sidelines.

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Guardiola had opened up on his fears that their involvement in the post-season tournament, where they exited in the quarter-final stages, after it concluded weeks before the restart of the top-flight campaign.

Speaking at the end of June, the Catalan said: "I try to relax, enjoy the days here and the good vibes that we have, the competition and we try to win it. The most important thing is to recover and find within ourselves what we were.

"That's my main target in this tournament. I want them to feel that this is our path again to be competitive like we have been in eight of the last nine years.

"After this, let's see what happens. Let's see what happens after the final. We will rest for the time the Premier League allow us. Maybe in November, December or January it will be a disaster, we are exhausted and the World Cup has destroyed us. I don't know, it's the first time in our lives that this has happened. We will see when we come back."

City breached the gap to Arsenal with their crucial 2-1 win over the Gunners last weekend, before they moved top of the table on goal difference with a midweek win at Burnley.

Due to their FA Cup involvement at the weekend, beating Southampton in the last-four, it allowed Mikel Arteta's side to return to the summit as they edged past Newcastle United.

However, Guardiola highlighted that the Premier League title run was exhausting his players. He said: "Arsenal was so demanding emotionally, it's normal.

"Three days later [Burnley], three days later [Southampton]. Our people were so, so tired. Then take a train, three hours from here to the hotel. Always the grass is thick [at Wembley]. Many thoughts I still have in my mind."

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