Mikel Arteta makes clear Premier League fixture request ahead of Arsenal nightmare run

Arsenal's festive fixtures have been confirmed and Mikel Arteta is far from happy

Mikel Arteta has called on the Premier League to move Arsenal’s match with Everton after more fixture rescheduling drama. The Gunners’ League Cup quarter-final match with Crystal Palace has been moved to December 23, two days after their trip to Everton the previous Sunday.

Arteta was speaking ahead of the side’s Champions League clash with Slavia Prague, yet another midweek match, their sixth midweek in a row filled with a fixture. “Yeah, that's a situation that we've been dealing with for a few weeks,” Arteta said.

“Trying to have the right freshness, the right cohesion within the team. The team has been competing really well in all different competitions. Tomorrow, we know that we have a really tough match here.

“They haven’t been beaten here at home all season. It's a team that they're used to playing together. They have a very clear philosophy. They create a massive atmosphere as well. So we know there's going to be a really tough match.”

While complimentary of his European opponents, the goodwill seems, however, to have expired when it comes the powers at be scheduling Arsenal’s festive fixture list. Asked about the announcement of the League Cup quarter-final, the Spaniard was honest and blunt in his assessment of the decision.

“Yeah, well, hopefully then they will leave our Premier League match because to play to this date doesn't make any sense, obviously,” he said. “So we will now decide the date. I'm sure they will change the Premier League date as well.”

Whether the Premier League will rearrange the trip to the Hill Dickenson Stadium remains to be seen, but Arteta stopped short of confirming when asked if an official request to move the game had been made, despite a known preference for the match to be played on December 16.

“I leave that to the club,” Arteta replied. “I think we're very clear what was the best thing, the most logical date to play. They bring a different date, so I'm sure we'll have to adapt to that.”

Arsenal have seven players currently out injured with Viktor Gyokeres and Kepa Arrizabalaga having not trained nor travelled with the group to Prague. The Swede is due to undergo more tests and scan to determine the extent of a problem that has halted the striker’s improving form in it's tracks.

Arteta hit back at suggestions about the size of the squad available to him and, subsequently, the capacity therefore to deal with the growing volume of absent stars.

“We have seven players out, eh?” Arteta retorted. "So I don't know what depth we're talking about now because we're missing a lot of players, a lot of front players.

“If we continue to do that every three days… we want respecting again. What we discussed previously that in our opinion it's the most important part.”