Aston Villa have opposed Tottenham Hotspur’s request to reschedule their Premier League match next month. The Birmingham-based club has turned down a proposal from the north London team to bring forward their game at Villa Park.
The match is currently scheduled for Sunday, May 18, but Spurs wanted it moved up by three days. This would have allowed Ange Postecoglou’s team additional time to prepare for a potential Europa League final on May 21.
Spurs still need to face Bodo/Glimt to secure a place in the final against either Manchester United or Athletic Bilbao, and were hoping for nearly a week’s preparation time. However, Villa have objected to setting a precedent for Spurs, as they have not received any assistance with their equally busy schedule.
They had to play a Champions League quarter-final second leg against Paris Saint-Germain just three days after an away game at Southampton. PSG, on the other hand, were given a weekend off by their own league.
If Spurs’ request was approved, Villa would feel hard done by, as it would give the London side more preparation time for a Europa League final than they had for a Champions League quarter-final.
Villa have also highlighted to the authorities that, following their FA Cup semi-final loss to Crystal Palace, they are focused on ending the season strongly in their remaining four games and securing a top-five finish to guarantee their own Champions League qualification.
Aston Villa are gearing up for a crucial clash with Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium on Saturday, May 10, at 5.30pm, seeking a clear week to prepare for a potentially season-defining match against Spurs.
Following a heavy 3-0 defeat to Crystal Palace at Wembley and a 2-1 league loss to Manchester City, Villa’s manager Unai Emery expressed his regret to the supporters. “Our priority is the Premier League. Premier League is the most important,” he admitted.
“I told you everyday, we enjoy Champions League and try to get something in the FA Cup, but be consistent through the Premier League. The objective is next week against Fulham. I am sorry to the supporters but I dominate my frustration.
“We have to take our experiences to get mature. We lost last year in the semi-final [Conference League] and we lose today’s semi-final to Palace. We are improving a lot. This is the message. We are going slowly, maybe.
“Now is the moment to dominate our frustration. I am frustrated but I am so proud of the players we have. We are trying to be ambitious. Winning trophies is very important.”
