MY ACCOUNT
The Premier League is on the verge of a fixture crisis after a number of games were postponed in the wake of Queen Elizabeth II’s passing.
In a season already jam-packed due to the winter World Cup in Qatar, finding a time to play rearranged fixtures is more difficult than ever.
We look at when those cancelled games could be played.
Which games have been postponed?
Following the death of the Queen, all football across the country was postponed between Friday, September 9 and Monday, September 12.
That meant 10 Premier League matches were called off, including Manchester City’s showdown with Tottenham and Manchester United’s visit to Crystal Palace.
Football returned on Tuesday night with Tottenham and Liverpool both playing in the Champions League but there is more disruption to come.
Arsenal’s Europa League clash with PSV Eindhoven will not take place on Thursday and instead will be played on October 20, which means the Gunners’ scheduled Premier League clash with Manchester City 24 hours earlier has been postponed.
And three more top-flight games are off this weekend due to a lack of available police — Crystal Palace’s visit to rivals Brighton, a meeting of old rivals United and Leeds, plus Liverpool’s trip to Chelsea.
That makes for a total of 14 matches that currently need re-scheduling.
Why is it hard finding a time to play them?
Finding midweeks for postponed games is never easy in a normal season — but it is especially challenging this time around.
Once the final whistle is sounded at Craven Cottage when Manchester United visit Fulham on November 13, the top-flight action will pause until Boxing Day.
All eyes will turn to Qatar and the World Cup as Gareth Southgate’s England look to end the men’s long wait for glory.
What are the possible dates for the rescheduled games?
The Carabao Cup, FA Cup, Champions League, Europa League and Europa Conference League all continue when top-level domestic football returns at the end of December.
That barrage means there are only three midweek slots when no games are set to be played once ties and replays in all competitions are factored in.
They are the weeks commencing April 4, May 2 and May 23 — all a long way away in the new year.
Why does the Champions League complicate matters further?
Of course, teams will get knocked out of cup competitions and there are plenty of dates open for those games not involving a team competing in Europe.
But UEFA’s rules state that top-flight domestic fixtures cannot clash with Champions League matches, so they would need to kick off at different times.
There was an understanding shown by UEFA after a wave of postponements in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic and that may have to be the case again.
Whatever happens, the Premier League have got a serious fixture headache as they try to cram all the games in.
And the prospect of more postponements later in the season due to adverse weather will only complicate matters further.
