Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has publicly expressed his dissatisfaction with his club's festive fixture schedule, citing a particularly quick turnaround between matches. Following a Wednesday evening fixture against Brentford, Arsenal is required to travel for an away game against Aston Villa with a 12:30 GMT kick-off on the subsequent Saturday. This tight scheduling has led Arteta to advocate for the Villa fixture to be moved to Sunday, which would provide his squad with crucial additional rest.

However, Arteta's appeals are likely to go unheeded due to existing Premier League regulations. The rule states that only teams participating in European competitions away on a Wednesday night are eligible to opt out of the challenging Saturday lunchtime television slot. As Arsenal's situation does not meet this specific criterion, their requests for a schedule alteration are unlikely to be accommodated.

December is widely recognized as an exceptionally demanding month for Premier League clubs, characterized by a relentless succession of matches. The packed calendar typically includes a midweek round of league fixtures, the core festive programme, commitments in European competitions, and the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup. This intense period raises questions about which clubs face the most arduous schedule over the five-week stretch leading up to the first weekend of January, highlighting the significant physical and strategic challenges posed by the English football calendar during winter.