Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has made clear the club will resist moving its Carabao Cup quarter-final against Crystal Palace to Dec. 23, after Palace asked for an alternative date amid a severe fixture pile-up.

The quarter-final is currently scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 16. Arsenal and Palace reached this stage by overcoming Brighton & Hove Albion and Liverpool in the fourth round respectively. Palace say the proposed date leaves them with three matches in five days: Manchester City are due to visit Selhurst Park two days prior in the Premier League and Palace then face KuPS in the Conference League two days after the scheduled cup tie.

Palace sought options after playing on Christmas Eve was ruled out following consultation with the Metropolitan police and Transport for London, and the Eagles proposed Dec. 23 as a possible alternative. Arsenal, who face Wolves a day before City travel to south London, have not agreed to that change.

“I don’t think that’s fair, because we have other competitions as well we have to try to accommodate,” Arteta said at his news conference. “We knew at the start of the season the competitions that each club is playing in … On balance we have to try to accommodate the best possible way for everybody.”

Asked specifically about the Dec. 23 option he added: “No, there are others. There are others, believe me, there are other options much better than this one. We already suggested that.”

The EFL, which governs the Carabao Cup, has yet to make an official ruling and both clubs expect a decision in the coming week.

Concerns about fixture congestion and player workload are not new. This summer’s Club World Cup provided little respite for players from Chelsea, Manchester City, Real Madrid and other leading clubs, and there have been suggestions that strike action might be needed to force governing bodies to listen.

On that point Arteta was clear about his hopes and priorities: “Hopefully not. If we look after the players’ welfare and our supporters, I think we’re never going to get to that point. And that’s it. We have to close the window there. We cannot open that window. It has to be closed. It’s our most precious value.

“We have the best league in the world and we cannot just open any window for anything just to lose that because we don’t respect that, and we forget what we are made of and what makes this game and this league so, so special. And if we respect that, I’m sure we’re going to be totally fine.”

Arsenal arrive at Turf Moor on Saturday aiming to extend an extraordinary run to nine successive wins in all competitions. The league leaders have not conceded since Nick Woltemade headed for Newcastle on September 28, and they sit four points clear at the top.

Burnley have been a tougher prospect than many expected. Scott Parker’s side are up to 16th after back-to-back wins, including last weekend’s dramatic 3–2 triumph at Molineux. The Clarets also beat Leeds United 2–0 earlier in October and look set to be involved in the relegation scrap, although victory over Leeds and Wolves has eased some immediate pressure.

Form (most recent five):
Wolves 2–3 Burnley – 26/10/25
Burnley 2–0 Leeds – 18/10/25
Burnley 2–1 Aston Villa – 05/10/25
Man City 5–1 Burnley – 27/09/25
Burnley 1–2 Cardiff – 23/09/25

Arsenal 2–0 Brighton – 29/10/25
Arsenal 1–0 Crystal Palace – 26/10/25
Arsenal 4–0 Atlético Madrid – 21/10/25
Fulham 0–1 Arsenal – 18/10/25
Arsenal 2–0 West Ham – 04/10/25

TV coverage lists multiple providers by territory, including fuboTV and the NBC platforms in the United States, DAZN and Amazon services in Canada, and Max Mexico and Amazon Prime Video in Mexico. In the United Kingdom there is no TV broadcast listed, with radio coverage provided by talkSPORT.

Team news and tactics
Parker may switch to a back five to limit Arsenal in and around the penalty area. Hjalmar Ekdal could return to the starting eleven. Zian Flemming, who scored his first two Premier League goals last weekend, is expected to operate alongside Jaidon Anthony. Lyle Foster, fit enough to score the winner at Wolves, may again be used from the bench. Connor Roberts, Zeki Amdouni and Jordan Beyer remain sidelined.

Mikel Arteta has confirmed that Gabriel Martinelli will miss the trip. William Saliba could make the matchday squad after missing the Carabao Cup win over Brighton. Declan Rice picked up a knock but was fit enough to feature off the bench midweek. Riccardo Calafiori was not risked; Myles Lewis-Skelly or Piero Hincapié are options if Calafiori is unavailable. Arteta hopes Kai Havertz, Martin Ødegaard and Noni Madueke will return after the November international break. Gabriel Jesus’s return will not be rushed following a long-term knee injury earlier in the year.

Predicted lineups
Burnley (5-3-2): Dúbravka; Walker, Tuanzebe, Ekdal, Estève, Hartman; Cullen, Ugochukwu, Luís; Anthony, Flemming.

Arsenal (4-3-3): Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori; Zubimendi, Rice, Eze; Saka, Gyökeres, Trossard.

Arsenal’s six consecutive clean sheets underline their defensive solidity. Burnley’s recent 3-goal performance and counter-attacking efficiency pose a threat, but Arsenal’s defence is expected to make this a difficult afternoon for the hosts.

A quarter of the 2025/26 Premier League campaign is behind us and Gameweek 10 could reshape several ongoing narratives. Arsenal head into the round with the clearest advantage. They sit four points clear of second-placed Bournemouth, six ahead of Man City and seven in front of Liverpool. Mikel Arteta’s side travel to Burnley on Saturday and will be expected to press home their superiority after scoring five at Turf Moor on their previous visit.

Defensively the Gunners have been exceptional. They have conceded just three times in all competitions and went the entirety of October without allowing a goal. Their set-piece threat has supplied narrow but decisive margins in recent matches and they will be keen to extend their lead with a win at Burnley.

Manchester United are enjoying their strongest period under Ruben Amorim, having secured a third successive victory at home to Brighton & Hove Albion last weekend. The Red Devils were convincing for 75 minutes before nervy moments as the Seagulls pressed late. Their rebuilt forward line, with Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha prominent in the Brighton win and Benjamin Šeško having opened his account in recent weeks, has been central to the upturn. Bruno Fernandes remains a reliable presence when needed. United travel to Nottingham Forest hoping to make it four straight wins and end the weekend inside the top four.

Tottenham Hotspur have been inconsistent but are third in the table on 17 points from nine matches. Thomas Frank’s Spurs face a London derby with Chelsea on Saturday. Chelsea arrive off a disappointing home defeat to Sunderland and a nervy Carabao Cup 4–3 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers. Spurs have won just once in eight home meetings with Chelsea across 90 minutes, yet Frank’s more cautious approach could help the Lilywhites seek a rare north London victory over the Blues.

Liverpool are in crisis after six defeats in seven across all competitions and four straight league losses following defeats to Brentford and Crystal Palace in the Carabao Cup. They have not lost five successive league matches since 1953, but that unwanted milestone is a real possibility against Aston Villa, who beat in-form Man City last weekend. At the Etihad on Sunday, Erling Haaland’s absence of goals has correlated with Man City defeats, and the Norwegian rarely blanks twice in a row. Bournemouth face a highly motivated City attack as the round concludes.