Tottenham's visit to Aston Villa rescheduled to aid UEL final preparation

Tottenham Hotspur’s Premier League match at Aston Villa has been moved forward by two days to May 16, allowing Spurs extra time to prepare for a potential Europa League final appearance.

Originally scheduled for May 18, the match at Villa Park was rescheduled after Tottenham requested the change.

The adjustment will give Ange Postecoglou’s side more time to prepare should they reach the Europa League final on May 21.

A club statement read: “We can now confirm that our Premier League fixture away to Aston Villa will take place on Friday 16 May, kicking-off at 7.30pm (UK).

“This match was originally scheduled for Sunday 18 May.”

Tottenham hold a 3-1 lead in their semi-final against Bodo/Glimt, while Manchester United lead their tie with Athletic Bilbao 3-0. Both second legs will be played on Thursday.

The date change for Spurs’ Villa fixture will stand even if Postecoglou’s team are eliminated and do not reach the final in Bilbao.

Aston Villa objected to the fixture change, citing a lack of precedent for the Premier League altering fixtures to accommodate clubs competing in European competitions.

Villa’s concerns were further fuelled by the club’s recent schedule, as they had been playing every three to four days in April due to their participation in the Champions League and FA Cup.

Another objection was that the match would be Villa’s final home game of the season, with several pre-planned family activities organised around the original fixture date, which would not be possible if the game were rescheduled to the evening of a school night.

Initially, Tottenham requested the game be moved to the evening of May 15, but the Premier League confirmed it will take place on May 16.

Manchester United’s game against Chelsea, scheduled for the same evening, will start at 7:15 pm GMT, ensuring both potential Europa League finalists will have the same amount of recovery time.