city of manchester are in talks with the Premier League about scheduling two games that could prove crucial in the title race.
Pep Guardiola’s away game against Bournemouth, initially scheduled for May 17, will be postponed because City have reached the FA Cup final 24 hours earlier, while their home game against Crystal Palace, initially scheduled for March, still has no date confirmed by the league.
The three clubs involved have held talks with the Premier League about the dates of the matches.
It is understood that a date of May 13 has been proposed for Palace’s visit to City, while a date of May 19 has been proposed for their trip to face Andoni Iraola’s side, which would be slotted between the FA Cup final against Chelsea at Wembley on May 16 and their final game of the season against Aston Villa at home on May 24.
In that scenario, City would play three times in seven days before the final weekend of the season.
However, sources indicate that City have been interested in exploring alternative options.
The scenario of potentially facing Bournemouth on May 12 and Palace on May 19 is understood to be among the other options suggested, a scenario that would allow City an extra day to recover for the grand final at Wembley.
It also means they could play their final two league games of the season at home.
Due to UEFA’s match scheduling, certain potential dates are not available because European football’s governing body prefers not to play domestic matches on the same night as club tournament matches.
The Premier League is yet to confirm the final dates for City’s two league games, but an announcement is expected soon.
Arsenal will have a keen interest in the final decision as they look to maintain their place at the top of the Premier League ahead of City and win their first title in 22 years.