- Man City have six games in 25 days in May
- The fixture build-up could cause issues
- Parlour has told them to stop complaining
Manchester City have been rebuked by Ray Parlour amid concerns over fixture congestion in the closing weeks of the domestic season.
City’s confirmed fixture schedule has now been locked in, and it could cause some major issues for Pep Guardiola’s team.
The Citizens must play six games in just 25 days to finish their season, with concerns raised over player welfare and fatigue.
However, some, including pundit and former Arsenal midfielder Ray Parlour, have called on the club to stop complaining.
Ray Parlour tells Manchester City to ‘get on with it’
Speaking to talkSPORT, Parlour argued that both City and Arsenal need to accept that fans and broadcasters want to watch every game for the rest of the season.
He said: “The TV [broadcasters] pay all the money, don’t they, and they want to get the games on TV. They want to see the run-in, they love this at the moment because they don’t know which way it’s gonna go.
“Every Arsenal game’s on TV now and every Man City game’s on TV, so they’ve gotta try and schedule it to get as many people to watch the games as possible. That’s what pays all their wages and that’s why they get lots of money.”
🤫 "You have to get on with it!"
— talkSPORT (@talkSPORT) April 29, 2026
📺 "Every Arsenal game is on TV now!"
Ray Parlour tells #MCFC to stop moaning about the fixture rearrangements amid title race with #AFC! 👊 pic.twitter.com/vpBptnJcjK
I can see their point of view, but when you’re going for the title you just don’t think about the games, you don’t feel tired during games.
“If you’re winning games of football, you can’t wait for the next one. And they won’t be training now, they’ll just be rcovering for the next game. I’d rather play a game than train.
“It’s not ideal but you just have to get on with it. You can’t do anything about it so it’s not worth worrying about.”
Ally McCoist sympathises with Manchester City
However, Parlour’s co-presenter, former Rangers striker Ally McCoist, shared a more understanding view of City’s complaints, but agreed that the situation was just a part of modern football.
McCoist said: “I do have a certain degree of sympathy for them in terms of the games being condensed, but unfortunately, I think it’s just a necessary evil.
“It comes with success that the games are coming thick and fast because they’re successful. But they’ve obviously got a squad, them and Arsenal that could and should be able to handle that.
“So I do take their point a little bit, but they are where they are because they’re successful. I would imagine if you take into account Arsenal’s two games in Europe as well, then their fixtures will be condensed as well.”
Who has the tougher run-in for the Premier League title?
Looking at the final few fixtures, both City and Arsenal have six confirmed games remaining, while Arsenal could also reach the Champions League final.
On paper, City have the harder set of fixtures. They face Everton (11th), Brentford (9th), Crystal Palace (13th), Bournemouth (7th) and Aston Villa (5th).
| Date | Opponent | Competition | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 May | Everton | Premier League | A |
| 9 May | Brentford | Premier League | H |
| 13 May | Crystal Palace | Premier League | H |
| 16 May | Chelsea | FA Cup Final | N |
| 19 May | Bournemouth | Premier League | A |
| 24 May | Aston Villa | Premier League | H |
Arsenal, meanwhile, do not play any side higher than 10th-placed Fulham in their remaining Premier League games.
However, the Gunners’ Champions League semi-final tie against Atletico Madrid will see them travel to Spain, and face a gruelling two-legged tie.
| Date | Opponent | Competition | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 29 Apr | Atlético Madrid | UEFA Champions League Semi-Final | A |
| 2 May | Fulham | Premier League | H |
| 5 May | Atlético Madrid | UEFA Champions League Semi-Final | H |
| 10 May | West Ham | Premier League | A |
| 18 May | Burnley | Premier League | H |
| 24 May | Crystal Palace | Premier League | A |
Fans of both will argue they have the tougher set of overall fixtures, but the Citizens definitely have the harder league games remaining.
