See, I'm not sure about this.
If West Ham didn't want the fixture moved to Jan 2 - and it was moved in October - I'm sure they could have objected/stopped it.
Seen it reported anywhere?
Of course, they bleated later when they realised they'd lose a player, but that's their fault, frankly.
A true weekend off would not be welcomed by Sky (or any media).
As for AFCON/Asian Cup, the deadline for all was Jan 1. (West Ham were unlucky with a fixture change to Jan 2, but I assume they could have protested about that)
Onana was the only exception (I think?) because before he signed for...