A date for Manchester City’s Carabao Cup third-round match against Watford is expected to be finalized today (Wednesday), as the first major scheduling conflict of the new football calendar has arisen.
The issue stems from the extended UEFA calendar for Champions League and Europa League group stages, which has complicated the scheduling of City’s game at the Etihad. Discussions have been ongoing between the EFL, UEFA, and the Premier League to find a solution.
City is set to face Arsenal on Sunday, September 22, at 4:30 p.m., followed by a trip to Newcastle for a 12:30 p.m. kickoff on Saturday, September 28. These matches have already been rescheduled for live TV, meaning fans have made plans around these dates and times.
The only viable option for City’s match against Watford is Wednesday, September 25. However, Manchester United is scheduled to play FC Twente at Old Trafford on the same night, and Greater Manchester Police (GMP) have expressed concerns about both teams playing at home simultaneously—a situation not seen since October 2015.
One potential solution could have been to move United’s Europa League match to the following evening. United plays Southampton the previous Saturday at lunchtime and Tottenham at home the next Sunday at 4:30 p.m., which would have allowed them to play on Thursday night.
However, under UEFA’s new group stage schedule, all Europa League fixtures for matchday one are set for either Wednesday or Thursday of that week, and UEFA has insisted that United’s match must take place on September 25. Typically, UEFA’s club competitions take precedence in the calendar.
This situation has created a scheduling conflict, placing Manchester City, Manchester United, and GMP at the center of a “scheduling tussle” involving the three governing bodies.
An EFL spokesperson commented on Wednesday night, stating that “discussions remain ongoing with multiple stakeholders.”
