Aston Villa Chief Unleashes Fury at Premier League, Brands Arsenal Fixture Scheduling a "Disgrace"
Aston Villa executive Damian Vidagany criticized the Premier League's fixture scheduling after the club was forced to play Arsenal with fewer than 72 hours' rest following their match against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, describing the arrangement as a "disgrace."
Manager Unai Emery had previously expressed similar frustrations regarding his team's congested fixture list during the holiday season. Aston Villa claimed a 2–1 win against Manchester United on December 21, before traveling to west London where they beat Chelsea by an identical margin on December 27.
The Villans' next fixture sees them visit Arsenal at the Emirates on December 30. Emery voiced his displeasure with the scheduling, questioning why his squad must face the Gunners for a second time this campaign while still awaiting their first encounter with Nottingham Forest.
"We have to accept the situation since it's beyond our control," Emery stated. "What I cannot comprehend is why we're facing Arsenal again before meeting Nottingham Forest at home."
"Matchday 19 isn't against Forest, which represents the season's first half. This is what puzzles me most."
In a similar situation, Mikel Arteta's Arsenal squad will encounter Aston Villa on Tuesday night before their initial 2025–26 meeting with Bournemouth at the weekend.
Vidagany: Villa's Fixture Logic Remains a 'Mystery'
Vidagany promptly supported Emery through social media, launching a scathing attack on the Premier League via a striking post on X.
"Completely support our manager. Why the EPL schedules a fixture from the season's second half before matchday 19 lacks clear justification. I questioned EPL officials and received no answer. Therefore it remains a mystery," he wrote ahead of the match.
"The reality is that intentionally or not, this creates more favorable conditions for certain clubs avoiding travel during this extremely busy Christmas schedule. I invite you to examine which teams are playing at home for both their previous and upcoming fixtures. Having us play two away matches within 72 hours will never serve as an excuse, but we acknowledge that playing twice at home without traveling is significantly better for recovery purposes.
"We certainly lack any influence in these decisions, as is evident. It would be scandalous if fixture arrangements became a political battleground."
When an X user noted that Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool all enjoy two home fixtures during the Christmas period, Vidagany responded with sarcasm: "Random."
Despite the challenging schedule, Aston Villa will aim to repeat their earlier success against the Gunners when Tuesday evening arrives. Emery's team, currently enjoying an 11-match winning run, previously defeated the table-toppers 2–1 in December courtesy of Emiliano Buendía's stoppage-time winner.