Carabao Cup quarter-final matches will soon get underway, but Arsenal's tie against Crystal Palace will not take place in the same week as the other matches
Bukayo Saka shakes hands with Leandro Trossard of Arsenal as he is substituted off
Arsenal will face Crystal Palace in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals
(Image: Getty)
Everything you need to know as to why Arsenal's Carabao Cup tie against Crystal Palace is not being played this week
Confirmed Match Date: The Carabao Cup quarter-final between Arsenal and Crystal Palace has been scheduled for Tuesday, December 23. This separates it from the other ties played this week.
European Football Conflict: The primary reason for the change is Crystal Palace's involvement in the UEFA Conference League. They are set to play KuPS on Thursday, December 18, which prevents them from playing a domestic cup match earlier in the week.
Standard Schedule Impossible: While the other quarter-finals (Cardiff vs. Chelsea, Man City vs. Brentford and Newcastle vs. Fulham) are taking place on December 16 and 17, Palace's Thursday fixture made a Tuesday or Wednesday cup tie impossible due to the mandatory rest period between games.
Palace's Fixture Congestion: The rescheduling has created an extremely tight turnaround for Crystal Palace, who must now play KuPS (Home) on Thursday, December 18, travel to Leeds United (Away) on Saturday, December 20, and then face Arsenal (Away) on Tuesday, December 23.
Arsenal's Festive Run: Arsenal also face a demanding schedule. They play Everton (Away) in the Premier League at 8:00pm on Saturday, December 20, giving them just two days of rest before the cup tie on December 23.
Impact on League Games: To make the Tuesday cup date possible, Crystal Palace's Premier League match against Leeds United was moved forward from Sunday, December 21 to Saturday, December 20, further compressing their recovery time after their European game.
Scheduling Disagreements: Reports indicate that Arsenal initially opposed the December 23 date due to player welfare concerns and the lack of recovery time after the Everton trip, but the date was eventually mandated to clear the fixture list before the January semi-finals.
Post-Christmas Fixtures: Following the cup tie, both teams continue a busy festive period. Arsenal will host Brighton on Saturday, December 27, while Crystal Palace will host Tottenham on Sunday, December 28.