The Premier League has approved requests from Arsenal and Crystal Palace to move their league fixtures on the weekend before their Carabao Cup quarter-final meeting.
Both sides were originally set to play on Sunday, 21 December, but their matches have been brought forward to 8pm on Saturday, 20 December. Arsenal will now visit Everton, while Palace travel to Leeds United.
The decision comes ahead of their cup tie at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday, 23 December, and aims to give players extra recovery time.
A Premier League statement said the change was made with player welfare in mind, noting the strain of “expanded UEFA competitions” on the domestic schedule. Palace also face KuPS in the Europa Conference League on Thursday, 18 December, making the adjustment essential to avoid fixture congestion.
Both matches will still be broadcast live on Sky Sports.
