The English Premier League has rescheduled Tottenham Hotspur’s match against Aston Villa, moving it forward by two days to May 16.
This adjustment allows Tottenham Hotspur additional time to prepare for their potential participation in the Europa League final, set to take place on May 21.
Originally slated for May 18 at 14:15 BST, Tottenham submitted an official request to the Premier League to advance the fixture due to their promising position in the semi-finals against Bodo/Glimt, where they hold a 3-1 advantage.
If they advance, Spurs could face Manchester United, who currently lead their semi-final tie against Athletic Bilbao with a commanding 3-0 scoreline. Both second legs of these semi-final matches are scheduled for Thursday.
Despite Tottenham’s request being approved, Aston Villa expressed strong objections to the scheduling change, arguing that there is no historical precedent for the Premier League to alter fixture dates specifically to assist clubs competing in European tournaments.
Villa highlighted their own gruelling schedule, noting that they had been playing every three to four days throughout April due to their commitments in the Champions League and FA Cup.
Furthermore, Villa’s objections were compounded by the fact that this match represented their final home game of the season.
The club had planned a series of family activation activities surrounding this match, which could not be feasibly conducted on a school night should the game be held on May 18 as initially scheduled.
While Tottenham had initially proposed to reschedule the fixture to the evening of May 15, the Premier League ultimately confirmed that the match would kick off at 19:30 BST on May 16.
Coincidentally, on the same evening, Manchester United will also be in action against Chelsea, with their match kicking off at 20:15 BST, ensuring that both potential Europa League finalists will have a similar recovery period leading into the final.