OLIVER GLASNER reckons Crystal Palace playing four games in eight days would be “irresponsible”.
Arsenal want to play their Carabao Cup quarter-final fixture against Palace on December 16.
Glasner’s men host Manchester City two days earlier and KuPS in the Conference League on December 18, then play at Leeds three days later.
The Austrian boss fumed: “I can’t believe this won’t be fixed.
“It would be irresponsible playing Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday.
“It’s about players’ welfare.
“I spoke about this issue three months ago.
“There are people who work on this.
“This is what they get paid for.”
EFL chiefs are still mulling over a date for the tie but Palace want December 23 or even Christmas Eve.
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Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta, whose side travel to Everton on December 21, said: “Every decision we make in terms of a fixture has to be guided on two main things — player welfare and then supporters.
“That’s it.”
XMAS fixture list in full
Friday 26 December 2025
20:00 Manchester United v Newcastle United (Sky Sports)
Saturday 27 December
12:30 Nottingham Forest v Manchester City (TNT Sports)
Arsenal v Brighton & Hove Albion
Brentford v AFC Bournemouth
Burnley v Everton
Liverpool v Wolverhampton Wanderers
West Ham United v Fulham
17:30 Chelsea v Aston Villa (Sky Sports)
Sunday 28 December
14:00 Sunderland v Leeds United (Sky Sports)
16:30 Crystal Palace v Tottenham Hotspur (Sky Sports)
Tuesday 30 December
19:30 Burnley v Newcastle (Sky Sports)
19:30 Chelsea v Bournemouth (Sky Sports)
19:30 Nott’m Forest v Everton (Sky Sports)
19:30 West Ham v Brighton (Sky Sports)
20:15 Arsenal v Aston Villa (Sky Sports)
20:15 Man Utd v Wolves (Sky Sports)
Thursday 1 January 2026
17:30 Crystal Palace v Fulham (Sky Sports)
17:30 Liverpool v Leeds (Sky Sports)
20:00 Brentford v Spurs (Sky Sports)*
20:00 Sunderland v Man City (Sky Sports)*
*Due to the movement of Spurs and Sunderland’s last matches to 28 December
Saturday 3 January
12:30 Aston Villa v Nott’m Forest (Sky Sports)
Brighton v Burnley
17:30 Bournemouth v Arsenal (Sky Sports)
Sunday 4 January
12:30 Leeds v Man Utd (TNT Sports)
15:00 Everton v Brentford (Sky Sports)*
15:00 Fulham v Liverpool (Sky Sports)*
15:00 Newcastle v Crystal Palace (Sky Sports)*
*Due to Brentford, Fulham, Liverpool and Palace all playing on 1 January
15:00 Spurs v Sunderland (Sky Sports)
17:30 Man City v Chelsea (Sky Sports)
Tuesday 6 January
20:00 West Ham v Nott’m Forest (Sky Sports)
Wednesday 7 January
19:30 Bournemouth v Spurs (Sky Sports)
19:30 Brentford v Sunderland (Sky Sports)
19:30 Crystal Palace v Aston Villa (Sky Sports)
19:30 Everton v Wolves (Sky Sports)
19:30 Fulham v Chelsea (Sky Sports)
19:30 Man City v Brighton (Sky Sports)
20:15 Burnley v Man Utd (Sky Sports)
20:15 Newcastle v Leeds (Sky Sports)
Thursday 8 January
20:00 Arsenal v Liverpool (Sky Sports)
