Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta says it would not be fair to move the club’s Carabao Cup quarter-final clash with Crystal Palace to Dec. 23, with the Eagles seeking an alternative date for the fixture amid an unprecedented pile-up of matches.

Oliver Glasner has called on football’s governing bodies to prioritise player welfare when scheduling matches as Crystal Palace face an increasingly congested schedule. After beating Liverpool to qualify for the Carabao Cup quarter-finals, Palace face the unenviable prospect of playing five matches in ten days in the lead-up to Christmas.

My only complaint is the U.S. team didn’t talk to us because Chris was struggling with his calf for many weeks,” Glasner said on Friday.

Liverpool have already suffered two defeats to Palace—losing in the Community Shield and Premier League—and will be fearing a third given their disastrous recent form. They have lost five of their last six in all competitions and are under huge pressure to turn things around in a timely fashion.

Crystal Palace and Brentford meet in the Premier League following League Cup wins, although it is the Bees who are in better form in the Premier League. Brentford, who defeated Grimsby Town 5-0 in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday night, have won three of their last four Premier League matches, including a 3-2 triumph over Liverpool last weekend.

Mark Carey and Gregg Evans analyse the main talking points from Liverpool's Carabao Cup loss to Crystal Palace

Liverpool are out of the 2025-26 League Cup after losing 3-0 to Crystal Palace at Anfield on Wendesday, as Arne Slot’s side suffered its sixth defeat in seven games in all competitions.

Crystal Palace owner Steve Parish believes the club would have taken a "significant risk" by going through with Marc Guehi's proposed transfer to Liverpool. The England international was on the cusp of moving to the Reds on transfer deadline day,

During that drop off, Palace plummeted to 10th place in the Premier League table and also suffered a shock defeat against AEK Larnaca in the Europa Conference League. The Eagles bounced back in fantastic fashion and must now build on that victory in the upcoming crunch clash against a resurgent Brentford side that will head into the game on the back of successive wins.

Meanwhile, Crystal Palace enters this cup clash looking to get back on track after three losses in their last four contests. The Eagles will nevertheless feel confident of inflicting more pain on their hosts today, having already beaten Liverpool twice this season, in the Community Shield and in the Premier League.

Real Madrid are leading the race for Marc Guehi as the La Liga leaders are reportedly "confident" of beating Liverpool to complete the free signing of the Crystal Palace captain. The 25-year-old centre-back is out of contract at the end of the current season,

Palace had hoped to move the contest at the Emirates. Speaking on Friday, Oliver Glasner said he was “really upset” by the schedule, pointing out that it would be dangerous for his players to hold so many matches in such a short space of time.