Manchester City put forward travelling to Bournemouth three days before the final day of the Premier League season as part of five separate proposals to address their fixture congestion, all of which were turned down. Our sister title the Manchester Evening News reports City are furious at being left with two lengthy away journeys within four days at the end of their campaign.
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. As for Premier League title rivals Arsenal, they do not leave London for their remaining four fixtures which will mean less travelling and more time for recovery.
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 moved forward and played beforehand. 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 completed prior to cup ties.
City had previously put forward three earlier dates for rearranging the Palace fixture, including the week before when the Burnley match subsequently took place, with the Premier League initially signalling their agreement before reversing their stance. The primary concern, however, has revolved around the scheduling of the Bournemouth fixture.
City voiced their frustration at being prevented from playing on Wednesday, May with that the case due to UEFA's desire to protect the schedule for the Europa League final, even with Arsenal's rearranged match from the Carabao Cup final moved to an evening featuring four Champions League fixtures.
Moreover, contrary to claims circulating on social media, City were also willing to take on Bournemouth on Thursday, May 21, should Wednesday prove unworkable. This alternative was not immediately ruled out, yet the Premier League ultimately settled on Tuesday, May 19 instead.
This leaves City with three fixtures in seven days and, crucially, two extensive trips in four days that will provide minimal preparation time between leaving Wembley after the FA Cup final and arriving at the Vitality Stadium for a Premier League clash that could determine the entire competition's fate.