Aston Villa games have provoked an ever-increasing controversy, after the club appealed to the Premier League regarding the way the matches are scheduled during the festive period. The problem has attracted concern throughout English football since. It creates broader concerns of equity, transparency and the welfare of its players.
Manager Unai Emery raised the Aston Villa issue of fixtures schedule publicly, claiming he could not comprehend how the club could be subjected to playing two opponents and then another before having encountered another opponent. The first half of the season will see Villa play Arsenal home and away without having to face Nottingham Forest.
Director of football operations Damian Vidagany also contributed to the frustration of the club by expressing his discontent publicly on X. He wrote: Completely know our manager. There is no clear explanation of why EPL organises a match day before matchday 19 during the 2nd half of the season.
Vidagany went a step further and opined that the setup will also favour some of the richest clubs in the league unconsciously. He added: That, whether like it or not, makes things easier in the fixtures of some clubs not travelling during this busy Christmas season.
The grievances by Villa are also concerned with the physical requirements of the schedule (two consecutive away matches in London within a limited time). These matches were with Chelsea and Arsenal, and this raises the question of time to recuperate and the level of competition.
Sources near the Premier League have howeve,r denied the possibility of bias. Instead, they demand that Aston Villa be provided with a full and detailed explanation of the calendar when the match schedule was announced in the summer.
The league explains that the scheduling is based on pre-approved rules that all the clubs have agreed to, with the intention of balancing the home and away games throughout the season. Rapid turnaround fixtures, as in Villa against Arsenal, are said to be normal and required in a crowded schedule created due to the increased European matches.
The Premier League also emphasised that festive season match-ups habitually have teams switch between home and away games. Other clubs like Liverpool and Manchester United have been facing similar trends without complaints being made in earlier seasons.
The timing of this Aston Villa match making is quite sensitive, as Villa are in good form and they are playing at the top of the table. The club management feels that clarity is needed, whereas the league is of the opinion that its procedure is clear and constant.
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