The Premier League has approved requests from Arsenal and Crystal Palace to move their league games on the weekend before their Carabao Cup quarter-final clash.
Both sides were due to play on Sunday, 21 December, but Arsenal’s trip to Everton and Palace’s visit to Leeds United will now take place at 8pm on Saturday, 20 December.
The adjustment gives both teams extra recovery time before they meet at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday, 23 December.
Palace, who play KuPS in the Europa Conference League on 18 December, preferred the earlier league slot to avoid facing Arsenal just two days after returning from Europe.
The Premier League said the changes were made to “prioritise player welfare” amid a congested schedule caused by expanded UEFA competitions, thanking Leeds and Everton for their cooperation.
