The Premier League have rejected Manchester City's proposal to switch their match against Crystal Palace and AFC Bournemouth. The Cityzens wanted an extra day of recovery, but are now facing a rough route for seven days next month.
According to the Daily Mirror, Manchester City wanted to face AFC Bournemouth first on May 13, before travelling to London to take on Chelsea in the FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium on May 16. The move would have seen them staying in the capital before taking on Crystal Palace three days later.
However, their proposal has been rejected by the Premier League, who want the pending match played first before returning to the normal schedule. The report adds that several clubs opposed the proposal and urged the league to stick to the schedule.
The Cityzens have been left frustrated by the decision, as they believed it was ideal to switch the games to help the players. But the league insist that it would be going out of the way to favour the club, and would be unfair for the other sides.
Manchester City's clash against Crystal Palace is their match in hand, as they look to catch Arsenal in the Premier League title race.
Premier League title race is not over, says Manchester City manager
Manchester City manager has insisted that the Premier League title race is still wide open and they are not the favourites. He claimed that his side are playing every three days and it is not going to be easy for them to adjust. He said:
“Now we have the FA Cup and after that we have five games. The only chance for the title is to win all the games. It was such a demanding game on Sunday [against Arsenal]. It is not easy after three days but in the Premier League you have to adjust. We are used to doing it. We competed really well, we made a really good game but it’s a pity the chances we had.”
Manchester City defeated Arsenal 2-1 in the Premier League this month and pulled level with the Gunners after beating Burnley three days later. The two sides were level on points and goal difference after the game, but Mikel Arteta's side have pulled clear once again after gaining three points for beating Newcastle United.
The Cityzens were in FA Cup action and had their Crystal Palace clash rescheduled.