Fergie, Benitez criticize Premier League for timing of end-of-season fixtures

London, May 1 (ANI): Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson and his Liverpool counterpart Rafa Benitez are at war with the Premier League over their end-of-season fixtures.

The United coach is annoyed that Chelsea will face Liverpool just three days after the Kop's gruelling Europa League defeat by Atletico Madrid.

And Anfield boss Benitez insists Manchester United have an unfair advantage in the title race because they do not kick off until Sunday evening.

By then Manchester United will know the result of the Chelsea's lunchtime game at Anfield, The Sun reports.

"I was surprised. In Spain the last two fixtures for all teams kick-off at the same time. That way, everyone will be in the same position. But over here it is different and everybody will know what is going on," Benitez said.

Chelsea is a point ahead of United with just two games left. Victory at Anfield will mean United must win at Sunderland.

"To have to play a lunchtime kick-off after a Thursday game is not fair to the English teams. It happens time and time again. It's happened to us and it's happened to the rest of them," Ferguson said.

"We don't have that big a congestion of fixtures that we can't help a team out by one day.

"We would have preferred them to play for 90 minutes on Thursday and I have always said that I don't think teams get the proper help when they are in Europe. You are then depending on the resilience of the players," he added. (ANI)