Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has expressed his frustration with the Premier League after they rejected the club's request to reschedule their upcoming match against Bournemouth.

City, who are currently fighting to secure Champions League qualification, will face Crystal Palace in the FA Cup final at Wembley on Saturday. Just 72 hours later, they are scheduled to play Bournemouth at the Etihad Stadium in a crucial Premier League fixture.

According to Guardiola, Manchester City had requested the Premier League to push the Bournemouth game back by 24 hours to allow his team more recovery time, but their appeal was denied.

"I would prefer to play on Wednesday – definitely. We've been fighting against this situation every single season for nine years," Guardiola told journalists. "We're going to play on Tuesday night, against an intense, physical and powerful team."

The Spanish tactician pointed out what he perceives as inconsistent treatment, noting that the Premier League had rescheduled the Aston Villa vs Tottenham Hotspur match to Friday night to ensure Spurs would have adequate recovery time before their Europa League final against Manchester United.

"Bournemouth are playing for the Europa League, and we have to deal with that. Tottenham play on Friday – and this is what we should do," Guardiola added. "It doesn't change much to play Wednesday instead of Tuesday, but they [the Premier League] decide."

The former champions are in an unusual position this season, battling for a Champions League spot rather than defending their title. Guardiola's comments suggest he believes the scheduling decision could potentially jeopardize City's chances of qualifying for Europe's elite competition.

Manchester City will need to navigate this congested fixture list carefully as they balance their FA Cup final ambitions with their push to secure Champions League football for next season.