Pep Guardiola has asked the Premier League not to interfere in the Arsenal vs. Crystal Palace match

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has spoken about the possibility of Crystal Palace rotating their squad for their match against Arsenal. Guardiola has urged the Premier League not to interfere with Oliver Glasner’s team selection plans for the final match of the season between Crystal Palace and Arsenal.

Arsenal will travel to Selhurst Park for a match that could decide the Premier League title, and manager Glasner hinted that Crystal Palace might rest key players ahead of the Conference League final just three days later.

This morning, May 14th, Man City beat Crystal Palace 3-0 to narrow the gap with league leaders Arsenal to just two points with only two rounds remaining in the season. Meanwhile, Crystal Palace have secured their survival in the Premier League and no longer have any domestic objectives, but they still have a crucial match in the Conference League final, the third-tier European competition.

Therefore, the likelihood of Crystal Palace fielding a second-string team against Arsenal in the final round of the Premier League has raised serious questions about the fairness of the competition. Arsenal could receive an advantage on the final day – if the title race extends to that stage – thanks to a randomly drawn fixture list and Crystal Palace’s impressive European record.

Crystal Palace manager Glasner has dismissed those rumors, and Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has backed the Austrian, asserting that Glasner should be free to choose his team for the remaining three matches without outside interference.

“Let the managers do what they need to do,” declared Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola. “The less the Premier League interferes in decisions, the better it is for all of us. So let the managers do what they need to do. No problem at all.”

A win against Bournemouth next Tuesday would put Man City in title race with Arsenal until the very last minute, and everyone knows all too well from previous seasons how tense the final day can be, even when you seem to have every advantage.

Regardless of where Man City finish the season, manager Guardiola insists he doesn’t want his team blaming referees, rival teams, or any other reason if they fail to beat Arsenal . And, as Palace manager Glasner has made clear, he must prioritize what’s best for his club regardless of the consequences for the title contenders.

“I don’t know what we’re going to do yet,” said Crystal Palace manager Glasner. “Maybe we’ll field the same team as we did against Rayo Vallecano. It feels like the Premier League title could be decided on the last day, but ultimately it’s the result of 38 rounds and everyone gets what they deserve.”

Honestly, if anyone criticizes me for this (playing a reserve team against Arsenal), it’s ridiculous. There have been 37 games played before, and that means if another team rotates their squad when facing Man City or Arsenal, it will also affect the title race.”