Premier League fixture changes cause schedule controversy with clubs left fuming

The Premier League have been forced to reschedule a number of fixtures in the coming weeks, with some clubs left fuming at the changes that have been made

Posted Monday, March 25, 2024 by Dailystar.co.uk

Premier League bosses face a furious response from some of the country's top flight clubs thanks to their latest rescheduling of fixtures.

The Mirror report that the integrity of the league could even be called into question as a result of the likely ramifications in this season's title race. Second placed Liverpool's manager Jurgen Klopp is staring down his worst nightmare - the Merseyside derby with Everton at Goodison Park on the evening of Wednesday, April 24, followed by a match at West Ham on the Saturday lunchtime TV slot at 12.30pm on April 27.

League leaders Arsenal also might not be too pleased as they're facing a pile-up of matches, while Tottenham will enjoy a whopping 15 days' rest before the North London derby on Sunday, April 28. Spurs' match with third-placed Manchester City on April 20 has been put on hold because Pep Guardiola's team have an FA Cup semi-final with Chelsea that weekend.

But instead of rescheduling Tottenham vs City for the following midweek, Guardiola's squad will play Brighton on Thursday, April 25. This gives Tottenham a full break from their game at Newcastle on April 13 until they play Arsenal at White Hart Lane.

During those 15 days, Arsenal will face four crucial games with Aston Villa, Bayern Munich, Wolves and their rearranged game with Chelsea, while Spurs take it easy. The league table could be turned upside down as Tottenham's calendar also gives them an advantage over Villa, who are still fighting in the Europa Conference League.

Other clubs have questioned the "integrity" of the fixture list and its role in deciding the Premier League champs and top four, according to the Mirror. City might face a less challenging match against Brighton earlier than planned, rather than revisiting Tottenham a team they've struggled against until their recent FA Cup victory in January.

The scheduling is said to be in a mess due to game cancellations for the FA Cup and other competitions involving English clubs such as the Champions League, Europa League, and Europa Conference League. Interestingly, Tottenham's match with City doesn't have a new date yet, with the Premier League saying they always try to reschedule games as soon as possible.

Liverpool are also battling a similar fixtures nightmare, and Klopp has been pushing to avoid Saturday lunchtime games after midweek European clashes. However, this doesn't apply to local matches.

They now have a Wednesday night game against Everton, followed by a Saturday lunchtime trip to West Ham, which will be broadcast live on TNT Sports. Premier League bosses are hesitant to schedule the Merseyside derby in the final week of the season with so much at stake, and Liverpool might still be in the Europa League.

City's journey to Tottenham is one of four games that are yet to be rescheduled, including Manchester United vs Newcastle, Chelsea vs Tottenham, and Brighton vs Chelsea. The Premier League has emphasised the policy is to rearrange games in date order, but there's no specific reason - either policy-wise or clash-wise - why City are playing Brighton first, rather than Tottenham.