Tottenham’s Premier League visit to Aston Villa has been brought forward by 48 hours in order to help them prepare for a Europa League final they have not reached yet.
Ange Postecoglou’s side were originally scheduled to visit Villa on the afternoon of Sunday 18 May but the encounter will now take place on the evening of Friday 16 May after the Premier League accepted a rescheduling request from the London club.
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The Europa League final takes place in Bilbao on Wednesday 21 May. Spurs lead Norwegian side Bodø/Glimt 3-1 after the first leg of their semi-final last Thursday and so are perhaps right to feel confident about progressing to what would be their first major European final in six years. However, Bodø/Glimt go into the return encounter on Thursday buoyed by the late goal they scored through Ulrik Saltnes at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and will no doubt be roared on by a raucous crowd at their own home, the Aspmyra Stadion, located in the Arctic Circle. Spurs have also generally been in poor form this season.
It is believed Villa were prepared to challenge the Premier League if it agreed to Spurs’ request for what will be their final home game of the season to be moved, but there was no mention of one in a statement released on Tuesday confirming the new date. There has been no precedent for the Premier League moving games to benefit clubs playing in Europe and indeed Villa had a rearranged Premier League fixture against Liverpool shoehorned into a midweek that Unai Emery’s side thought would be free after avoiding a playoff round in the Champions League.
Manchester United also face Chelsea in the Premier League on 16 May, meaning – as things stand – both likely Europa League finalists will have the same amount of recovery time before the showpiece encounter. United lead Athletic Bilbao 3-0 going into the second leg of their semi-final at Old Trafford on Thursday.
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