Aston Villa boss Unai Emery appeals for help after blasting 'unfair' Premier League scheduling

Villa are frustrated at the Premier League fixing their rearranged home fixture with Liverpool for next Wednesday, after a request to move it later in the season was rejected.

The original March 15 date now clashes with the Reds’ participation in the Carabao Cup final but Emery believes the decision to bring it forward in the calendar “makes no sense” when other dates may be available later in the campaign.

An already busy run for Villa has been even more hectic by their FA Cup fifth round tie with Cardiff being scheduled for Friday, February 28, just three days after they visit Crystal Palace in the Premier League.

Emery, who is already without several players through injury, believes the health of his squad is being put at risk.

“How we set the schedule is not my responsibility but the people involved in it have to analyse each team and have to analyse different competitions, helping the teams in Europe,” he said.

“How they set the schedule for the next weeks doesn’t make sense, analysing our schedule as an example. 

“It’s not my job and I have to adapt to the different competitions we are facing, because playing three matches in a week, there is more risk for the players to get tired, to get injured, and this is the reason we have to be intelligent and to be ready to play, trying to share the minutes as well as possible.

“The first target they (the fixture schedulers) have is to try to help in the schedule for the teams involved in different competitions.”

Villa’s bemusement at the scheduling has been heightened by the fact they will now play only one Premier League match in March, away at Brentford, in between the two legs of their Champions League last-16 tie.

Avoiding the play-off round in the latter competition should have meant they were without a fixture next midweek and the club believe they have now been robbed of that benefit.

“Of course, football is changing, that is clear,” said Emery. “More contact, more duels, more injured players. 

“This is the reality because physically it is stronger than 30 years ago and it is changing. We have to adapt quick to these circumstances, how we can get better managing better the time in matches. 

“Of course, this is our task but another is for the Premier League people, how they can help the teams to be better in balance to play and manage the time, playing the same matches but trying to share better the schedule.”