Manchester City have been angered by the Premier League’s fixture decisions that look set to benefit title rivals ArsenalSimon Bajkowski Chief Manchester City Writer and Kieran Horn
16:00, 28 Apr 2026
Arsenal have benefitted from the Premier League’s decision to reject several Manchester City fixture requests(Image: (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images))
Manchester City proposed travelling to Bournemouth three days prior to the final day of the Premier League season as part of five separate solutions to resolve their fixture backlog, all of which were rejected.
According to football.london’s sister-title, the Manchester Evening News, City are incensed at being left with two lengthy away trips within four days at the conclusion of their campaign, following the league’s near three-month delay in rescheduling a fixture.
The latest announcement from the Premier League has confirmed City will complete the 502-mile round trip to Bournemouth on Tuesday, May 19, just three days after their FA Cup final against Chelsea.
On the complete opposite end of the spectrum, Premier League title rivals Arsenal do not leave London for their remaining four matches. Less travel time and thus more opportunities for recovery are likely to only benefit Mikel Arteta and his players.
With the FA Cup final falling on the penultimate weekend of the English season, City wanted their Premier League encounter with Bournemouth, originally scheduled for that period, to be brought forward and played beforehand.
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This mirrored the arrangement made for their league fixture with Burnley ahead of the FA Cup semi-final, and aligns with what the club consider an established Premier League principle that league games should be fulfilled prior to cup ties.
Nevertheless, the Premier League insisted on slotting in the home match against Palace – postponed since the Carabao Cup final – into that window, and with Oliver Glasner’s side having played the previous Sunday, the fixture was required to be staged on Wednesday, May 13, granting City a less than ideal turnaround ahead of the FA Cup final.
City had previously suggested three earlier dates for rescheduling the Palace match, including the week prior when the Burnley fixture subsequently took place, with the Premier League initially indicating their approval before reversing their position.
The principal concern, however, has centred on the scheduling of the Bournemouth fixture. City expressed frustration at being prevented from playing on Wednesday, May 20.
That was because UEFA wished to preserve the schedule for the Europa League final, highlighting that Arsenal’s rearranged match from the Carabao Cup final had been moved to an evening featuring four Champions League fixtures.
Manchester City are not pleased by the Premier League’s decision to move their fixture against Bournemouth
Furthermore, contrary to suggestions circulating online, City were also prepared to face Bournemouth on Thursday, May 21, should Wednesday prove impossible. This option was not instantly dismissed, yet the Premier League eventually settled on Tuesday, May 19 instead.
This leaves City facing three matches in seven days and, crucially, two lengthy journeys in four days that will afford minimal preparation time between departing Wembley following the FA Cup final and reaching the Vitality Stadium for a Premier League encounter that could decide the entire competition’s outcome.
It has proved a sensitive and complex matter, with the Premier League’s task complicated by City’s advancement in both cup tournaments and English clubs’ achievements in both the Europa League and Conference League.
City maintain, nevertheless, that the Palace match should have been resolved earlier given nearly three months have elapsed since it was removed from the fixture list.