Clubs question fixture integrity

Arsenal, Liverpool unhappy with latest changes to matches

THE Premier League is facing a storm of criticism over its latest fixture changes, which have left clubs questioning the fairness of the schedule. Arsenal are set to be particularly upset as they face a pileup of matches, while

Tottenham will enjoy a whopping 15 days’ rest before their

North

London derby on

Sunday, April

28.

Liverpool’s manager Jurgen

Klopp is also unhappy, as his team faces a tough Merseyside derby with Everton on April 24, followed by a match at West Ham on April 27, according to the Mirror.

Tottenham’s match against Manchester City on April 20 has been postponed due to City’s FA Cup semifinal with Chelsea that weekend. However, instead of rescheduling the Tottenham vs City match for the following week, City will play Brighton on April 25.

This means Tottenham will have a full break from their game at Newcastle on April 13 until they play Arsenal at White Hart Lane.

During this 15-day period, Arsenal will have to tackle four important games against Aston Villa, Bayern Munich, Wolves and their rearranged match with Chelsea, while Spurs can relax.

The reshuffling of matches could drastically affect both the race for the title and the battle for a top four spot.

Tottenham’s schedule gives them a significant advantage over Villa, who are still involved in the Europa Conference League.

And, it has led to questions about the “integrity” of the fixture list being raised from several clubs, and how the rescheduling could influence the outcome of the league.

City now have a potentially simpler match against Brighton much earlier on rather than facing Tottenham, a ground that has often proven difficult for them until their FA Cup victory in January.

The disrupted fixture schedule is primarily due to games being postponed for the FA Cup, as well as English clubs progressing in the Champions League, Europa League and Europa Conference League.

Incredibly, Tottenham’s game with City has yet to be rearranged, with the Premier League maintaining that their standard procedure is to organise deferred matches at the earliest opportunity.

Liverpool are also grappling with a similarly challenging fixture nightmare, and Klopp has been instrumental in preventing Saturday lunchtime after midweek European fixture

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.

The bosses of the Premier League have been hesitant to schedule the Merseyside derby for the only other available slot in the final week of the season, as there’s a lot at stake. Liverpool might also still be in the Europa League.

City’s journey to Tottenham is one of four matches that are yet to be rescheduled, including Manchester United vs Newcastle, Chelsea vs Tottenham and Brighton vs Chelsea.

The Premier League has emphasised that their policy is to rearrange games in date order, but there’s no specific reason – whether it’s policy or a clash – why City are playing Brighton first rather than Tottenham. – Express Newspapers