Aston Villa give emphatic response to Tottenham request
Tottenham Hotspur have been in discussions with the Premier League to change the date of their match at Aston Villa next month
Aston Villa have written to the Premier League to strongly oppose Tottenham Hotspur’s request to bring forward their fixture at Villa Park next month.
It is understood that Spurs want the match to be rescheduled for Thursday, May 15, to allow more preparation time for a possible Europa League final, which is set for Wednesday, May 21 at the San Mames.
Villa are currently scheduled to host Ange Postecoglou's side three days earlier, on Sunday, May 18.
Tottenham must first overcome Bodø/Glimt in the Europa League semi-finals to reach the final, where they could face either Manchester United or Athletic Bilbao.
Villa strongly opposed Tottenham’s request, citing their own congested fixture list this season, which has frequently involved playing matches within a three-day span.
Moving the game to Thursday, May 15 would leave Villa with less recovery time following an away fixture at Bournemouth on Saturday, May 10 - especially for a match that could prove pivotal in the race for European qualification.
Last month, Villa played eight games in just 24 days, including their Champions League quarter-final tie against Paris Saint-Germain.
While the French champions were granted a free weekend by the LFP, Villa had to play away at Southampton just over 72 hours before hosting PSG for the second leg.
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