Leeds United could very easily play a day earlier - but is it the right thing to do?
Isaac Johnson Leeds United reporter
15:00, 06 Nov 2025
Oliver Glasner and Crystal Palace have a very tight schedule
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Oliver Glasner and Crystal Palace have a very tight schedule(Image: Richard Pelham/Getty Images)
Crystal Palace have asked the Premier League for their away trip to Leeds United next month to be pushed forward a day.
The club have submitted theit request in light of their League Cup quarter-final against Arsenal on December 23, which comes just two days after the visit to Elland Road.
The Premier League fixture had already been moved to Sunday, December 21 due to Palace’s involvement in the Europa Conference League. The Eagles host Finnish club KuPS the Thursday prior on December 18. So what is the thinking to bring their game against Leeds forward?
Why might Palace want the game brought forward?
Speaking ahead of tonight’s European clash at home to AZ Alkmaar, Palace boss Oliver Glasner explained: "We are trying the same thing that Arsenal are trying, to move our Leeds game forward to Saturday, so we don't have two days between these games.
“We didn't get a response until now from the Premier League, just to have the same as Arsenal, if their game is moved.” Arsenal are due to travel to Everton two days before their League Cup meeting with Palace as things stand.
The reality for Palace is that they will have a two-day gap between one of their fixtures either way, with there being little opportunity to move the already-congested fixture schedule around. So from their perspective, it will be a case of the lesser of two evils.
KuPS are ranked 143rd in the UEFA rankings and success for them would be getting through to the next round of the Europa Conference League. Palace will expect to go deep into the competition and qualify inside the top eight of the league phase.
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Clearly, the fixture against Arsenal is more difficult and will be played away from home. Ensuring there is more time to travel back from Elland Road will be part of thinking behind the request too.
And, obviously, a loss in the league stage of the Conference League can be repaired - an exit out of a one-off League Cup tie cannot be.
How would this change impact Leeds?
In the grand scheme of things, not much. United’s game prior to Palace comes a week earlier away at Brentford on Sunday, December 14, while the following fixture against Sunderland has already been pushed back to Sunday, December 28.
A day’s difference, then, shouldn’t impact United’s preparations much at all. The question here is more about whether it is morally right.
Supporters will have booked transport and accommodation for the match and moving the fixture would mean rearranging this or risk losing money and not being able to attend at all. This would happen during what is already an expensive time of year anyway.
It would also be a jab to the face given the game would be moved - not because it has anything to do with Leeds or TV agreements or even Palace's European requirements - but due to Palace's own predicament preference. Why should Leeds, in theory, change their schedule to help out a rival?
Meanwhile, on another level, if there is to be a stand against the congested football schedule, then this is it. The Premier League might wish to stamp its strong, authoritative position on the domestic game and make others budge.
UEFA has shown to be stubborn while the League Cup has been rather like the little brother that has had to work around the others. But that competition, too, has a right not to budge.
The schedule is all a bit much and a bit silly, not to mention unhealthy and dangerous for player welfare. It needs to get sorted and this is the perfect case point to fuel a reform.
So for the Leeds players and coaches, such a fixture change won’t impact them much. But that’s not the point here.
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