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Fulham's bid to have their final game of the
season at Arsenal moved forward one day has been rejected by the
Premier League.
The Cottagers were keen to give themselves additional time to
prepare for Wednesday's Europa League final showdown with Atletico
Madrid in Hamburg.
Roy Hodgson's side booked their place in the continental
showpiece after a thrilling run which has seen them overcome
Shakhtar Donetsk, Juventus and Hamburg.
But their European exertions have taken their toll on Hodgson's
squad, who lost their final home match of the season against Stoke
City on Wednesday night.
The Cottagers were keen to have their trip across London to
Emirates Stadium on Sunday brought forward 24 hours so they could
have an extra day of rest before the biggest game in the club's
history.
But the Premier League have turned down their request to protect
the integrity of the competition and as they did not want to upset
the travel plans of supporters.
Arsenal could still lose out on third place in the table if they
slip up against the Cottagers with bitter North London rivals
Tottenham, who travel to Burnley, waiting to pounce and secure an
immediate place in the UEFA Champions League group phase.
A statement from the Premier League read: "Given it was the
final day of the season, when we always play all our matches at the
same time for reasons of integrity, and being mindful of the travel
plans supporters will have made, the board felt it wasn't
appropriate to move the Arsenal-Fulham match."