Manchester United have had their advantage over Tottenham for the Europa League final taken away from them.
The competition’s showpiece event is due to take place on May 21, and United look set to make the final after winning the first leg of their semi-final 3-0 away at Athletic Bilbao last week.
They appear likely to face Spurs after Ange Postecoglou‘s men beat Bodo/Glimt 3-1 last Thursday, and United had been scheduled to have a significant advantage with their fixture list prior to the final.
The Red Devils are facing Chelsea on Friday, May 16, while Spurs were due to travel to Aston Villa two days later, giving them less time to recover for the final.
However, following a request by Spurs to the Premier League, their match has now been moved forward so that it will also be played on the Friday night.
Confirming the news on their official website on Tuesday morning, a Tottenham statement read: ‘We can now confirm that our Premier League fixture away to Aston Villa will take place on Friday 16 May, kicking-off at 7.30pm (UK).
Ruben Amorim’s side have had a potential Europa League final advantage taken away
Man United had been scheduled to have two more days to prepare for the final than Tottenham
Spurs’ Premier League match with Aston Villa has now been moved forward so they will play on the same night as United
‘This match was originally scheduled for Sunday 18 May.’
Tottenham’s game will now start 45 minutes earlier than United’s, with kick-off at Stamford Bridge scheduled for 8.15pm.
This will give the teams almost the exact same amount of time to prepare for the Europa League final, should they both make it.
Tottenham had first made the move to change the time of their clash with Villa last week, but it was initially met with some resistance.
They have now reached a compromise, but this has angered Villa fans who were left in limbo for several days over when their final home match of the season would actually take place.
Upon Villa announcing the news of the fixture change on X, a number of fans vented their frustration that the game had been moved on less than two weeks’ notice.
‘So we roll over and let them tickle our belly? I feel sorry for the traveling Villa fans and how this could affect the last home game activities,’ one fan wrote on X.
‘Last home game being moved again, what about fans wanting to show appreciation but can’t due to the game finishing at a stupid time?’ another angry supporter asked.
Villa fans are angry with their final home fixture of the season being moved at late notice
Fans are concerned that the game will be finishing late on a Friday when it was due to take place on a Sunday afternoon
Spurs requested the fixture to be moved last week, but did not get their wish for several days
Unai Emery’s side will play two days earlier than planned as they bid to make the top five
Villa could face a heavily-rotated Tottenham team if Ange Postecoglou continues to focus on Europa League glory
‘Them taking 5 days to decide this is crazy…’ one X user added.
It is the latest example of fixture chaos at the top of English football, after the kick-off time for the FA Cup final was only confirmed over the weekend – just two weeks before the Wembley showdown between Manchester City and Crystal Palace.
Both matches on the Friday night are likely to be pivotal in the race for the top five.
Chelsea are currently sitting in the final Champions League place after beating a heavily-rotated Liverpool side on Sunday, while Villa are just three points further back with three games left to play.
Ruben Amorim has rested his key players for league games in recent weeks after deciding to fully focus on Europa League glory.
This trend is likely to continue for the rest of the season, with United safe from relegation, and knowing that winning the Europa League will earn them a spot in next season’s Champions League.
Tottenham have also found themselves in a similar situation after a disastrous campaign, with Postecoglou looking to salvage his team’s season by winning a European trophy and ending Spurs’ 17-year wait for silverware.
This article was originally published by a www.dailymail.co.uk . Read the Original article here. .