The Premier League has approved requests from Arsenal and Crystal Palace to move their league matches the weekend before their Carabao Cup quarter-final on 23 December.
Originally set for Sunday 21 December, Arsenal’s trip to Everton and Palace’s visit to Leeds will now be played at 8pm on Saturday 20 December.
The change gives both teams extra recovery time before their midweek cup meeting at the Emirates Stadium. Palace, who face KuPS in the Europa Conference League on 18 December, preferred to move their league game rather than face Arsenal just two days later.
The Premier League said the decision prioritised player welfare amid a congested schedule caused by expanded UEFA competitions, and thanked Leeds and Everton for their cooperation.
Both fixtures will still be shown live on Sky Sports.
