Aston Villa chief hits out at Premier League fixture schedule ahead of key Arsenal match
Villa chief Damian Vidagany has lashed out at the Premier League’s festive fixture scheduling.
Vidagany, Villa’s director of football operations, has questioned why the club were handed back-to-back away matches between Christmas and the New Year, when some of their rivals will play two at home.
Villa head to Arsenal on Tuesday night barely 72 hours after winning at Chelsea and the scheduling was raised by Unai Emery during Monday’s pre-match press conference, though the manager is refusing to use it as an excuse.
Vidagany then wrote in stronger terms on social media, explaining the club had unsuccessfully sought answers from the league over the fixture list.
Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea will all play two matches at home between Christmas and New Yea, though second-placed Manchester City are also twice on the road.
Tuesday’s match is Villa’s second against the Gunners in December and Villa wanted to know why next Saturday’s home match against Nottingham Forest, a team they are yet to face this season, did not precede it on the calendar.
Vidagany wrote: “Why EPL brings a match day from 2nd half of season before matchday 19 has not a clear explanation.
“I asked to EPL people and they didn’t tell us. So it is a mystery.
“The fact is that, willing or not, this makes more convenient the fixtures for certain clubs that are not travelling on this very busy Christmas period.
“I let you take a look which clubs are playing home both last and next match. To make us play 2 away games in less than 72 hours will be never an excuse but we agree that is much better on the recovery side play twice at home and not travel.
“We are not, for sure, as it is obvious, having any influence. It would be a disgrace if the fixtures become a political territory.”
The fixture list, released in June, is designed to give the best overall home and away sequence across the whole season but it is the tight turnaround at Christmas which has irked Villa.
Vidagany’s online missive came shortly after Emery had also raised the issue when talking to the press.
The Villa boss said: “The only thing I don’t understand is why we are playing, after Arsenal, Nottingham Forest at home.
“The day 19 is not against Forest, which is the first half of the season. This is the only thing I don’t understand.
“The circumstances which are not in our hands, we must accept it and keep going.”
