Arsenal vs Crystal Palace: Mikel Arteta hits back at Oliver Glasner calls for cup clash to be moved | OneFootball

The fixture calendar could see the Eagles forced to play three matches in five days

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.

But Arteta suggested Arsenal's preferred option is for the last-eight clash to remain on December 16.

"I don't think that is fair (if the match is rescheduled) because we have other competitions as well," said Arteta.

He did, however, mirror Glasner’s frustration with the fixture pile-up.

Arteta continued: "We knew at the start of the season the competitions that each club is playing in, so on balance we have to try to accommodate the best possible way for everybody.

"Every decision that we make in terms of a fixture has to be guided on two main things; players' welfare, and then supporters, and that is it, and the rest has to come very, very far away from that. And we should never forget that principle.

"If we have that big piece of paper with those two principles there in front before we make any decision, all of us in our industry, we won't get there. If we don't and we just ignore that, then anything is possible.

"If we look after the players' welfare and our supporters, we are never going to get to that point (players going on strike).

"We have to close the window there. We cannot open that window. It has to be closed. It's our most precious value. We have the best league in the world and we cannot just open any window for anything just to lose that because we don't respect that, and we forget what we are made of and what makes this game and this league so, so special. And if we respect that, I'm sure we're going to be totally fine."