Keith Hackett moots major Premier League rule change amid Tottenham development
Tottenham Hotspur have been left disappointed by a decision made by Aston Villa this week.
Spurs will make the trip to Villa Park on 18 May for their penultimate Premier League fixture, but they had requested that the fixture was changed due to their Europa League campaign.
The Lilywhites will play in the Europa League final just three days later if they are able to reach that stage of the competition, and they had hoped that the Villa game could be altered to accommodate that.
Tottenham first have to get past Bodo/Glimt in order to worry about a possible final, but Spurs were looking for a little help from a Premier League rival.
Aston Villa reject Tottenham fixture change request
However, according to widespread reports, Villa have rejected that request and are unwilling to compromise on the fixture date.
Former Premier League official Keith Hackett exclusively spoke to Tottenham Hotspur News about the decision, and how that could change in the future.
He said: “The situation could be resolved by the Premier League, made up of 20 clubs, voting for a rule change.
| Fixture | Date | Venue |
| Tottenham v Bodø/Glimt | 1 May | Tottenham Hotspur Stadium |
| Bodø/Glimt v Tottenham | 8 May | Aspmyra Stadion |
“Simply by stating that if a Premier League club reaches a European final, all scheduled fixtures for that club are cancelled seven days prior to the final taking place.
“Creating a seven-day window assists them to clear any injuries and to prepare the team.”
Whether that rule change will end up taking place at some stage in the future will remain to be seen, but it will not happen fast enough to benefit Spurs this season.
Instead, the Lilywhites will have to push through two fixtures close together and give the best possible account of themselves in each, should they progress to the final.
Tottenham are trying to salvage their season in Europe
Spurs remain 16th in the Premier League table after what has been a dreadful campaign that they would rather forget about completely.
There have been few positives for Tottenham fans to take, but potential European success would give them something to cheer about.
It would be a significant statement for Spurs to achieve that, and for a while, it was believed that doing so would save Postecoglou’s job.
However, it is now believed that the Australian coach is set to be fired regardless of what Spurs do in Europe, as Daniel Levy is already said to be looking at possible replacements.
There is even a chance that Levy fires Postecoglou before the upcoming Bodo/Glimt fixtures in the semi-finals, which would be a huge decision.