The Premier League has warned supporters of potential short-notice rescheduling for key fixtures involving Manchester City, Arsenal, and Tottenham Hotspur due to a lack of scheduling guarantees from UEFA ahead of the Champions League knockout draw.
The Premier League has announced that several high-profile fixtures, including West Ham United v Manchester City and Arsenal v Everton, are subject to emergency rescheduling depending on the outcome of the UEFA Champions League draw on February 27.
Despite the league confirming March schedules back in January, UEFA has been unable to provide scheduling guarantees, creating a conflict for clubs like Arsenal and Tottenham who are set to play on Sunday, March 15, but may be required by UEFA to play European ties on Tuesday, March 17.
Further complicating matters is the “long-standing local authority policy that Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal do not play on the same day at home,” a restriction that may be triggered since both clubs are seeded and must host their second-leg matches.
The league expressed frustration over the potential “inconvenience of supporters and clubs” caused by the shorter notice, noting that the West Ham v Manchester City match on March 14 remains contingent on City’s European first leg not being placed on the preceding Tuesday.
While the Premier League aims for a six-week notice period for fans, the record participation of nine English teams in Europe this season has intensified the logistical pressure on the domestic calendar.