Chelsea set for blank and double Gameweeks as new Burnley v Spurs date awaited

Chelsea are poised to blank in Gameweeks 24 and 25 of Fantasy Premier League (FPL) after FIFA announced the dates for the rearranged Club World Cup this morning.

The Blues’ matches against Brighton and Hove Albion (February 8) and Arsenal (February 12) will have to be rescheduled as a result, so the Seagulls and the Gunners will both have one blank apiece as well.

Thomas Tuchel’s side will very likely get at least two Double Gameweeks, then, and potentially more depending on their progress in the domestic cup competitions.

Meanwhile, we still await a date for Sunday’s postponed match between Burnley and Tottenham Hotspur.

WHEN DOES THE FIFA CLUB WORLD CUP TAKE PLACE?

The Club World Cup takes place in the United Arab Emirates between February 3-12, although Chelsea won’t be involved in the early rounds and instead enter at the semi-final stage.

The draw for that competition will be held today at 4pm GMT.

WILL CHELSEA DEFINITELY BLANK IN GAMEWEEKS 24 AND 25?

Providing the competition goes ahead (Covid put paid to the originally scheduled tournament in Japan in December), then Chelsea will very likely blank in Gameweek 24 and probably in Gameweek 25, too.

The FA Cup fourth round immediately precedes Gameweek 24, while the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League gets underway in the midweek after Gameweek 25.

The weekend of February 5/6 (just before Gameweek 24) would only be free if Chelsea and one of Arsenal or Brighton lose their FA Cup 3rd round ties, which seems like a bit of a stretch.

Chelsea are definitely through to the Champions League round of 16 but may not be in European action on Tuesday/Wednesday February 15/16 – that’s because those knockout round ties are being spread out, with four of the eight last-16 clashes taking place a week later.

Even if the Blues aren’t in Champions League action just after Gameweek 25, the Premier League have generally (but not always) tried to avoid a clash with UEFA club competitions when rearranging fixtures. Manchester City v Southampton was rearranged for a Champions League night last season with no other windows free, however, so that does remain an emergency option.

WHEN COULD CHELSEA GET DOUBLE GAMEWEEKS?

Chelsea won’t get a Double Gameweek in 2021 due to there not being a free midweek/weekend remaining this calendar year.

Here are some other dates when the outstanding games against Brighton and Arsenal could theoretically be accommodated.

Double Gameweek 21

A Double Gameweek 21 is only a possibility if Chelsea are eliminated from the EFL Cup quarter-finals. Brighton are already out of that competition but Arsenal face Sunderland in the last eight so are hot favourites to progress.

POSSIBLE GW21 DOUBLES:

• Chelsea: Liverpool (h) and Arsenal (h)/Brighton (a)
• Brighton: Everton (a) and Chelsea (h)
• Arsenal: Man City (h) and Chelsea (a)

Double Gameweek 22

A Double Gameweek 22 is a stronger possibility if Chelsea plus one of Arsenal or Brighton avoid the need for a FA Cup 3rd round replay.

POSSIBLE GW22 DOUBLES:

• Chelsea: Man City (a) and Arsenal (h)/Brighton (a)
• Brighton: Crystal Palace (h) and Chelsea (h)
• Arsenal: Spurs (a) and Chelsea (a)

Double Gameweek 27

Double Gameweek 27 is unlikelier and would require many things to fall into place, including Chelsea to be out of both the FA Cup and EFL Cup.

Even then, it would depend on what Brighton/Arsenal and the Blues’ Gameweek 27 opponents, Leicester, do in the domestic cup competitions.

In actual fact, a Chelsea blank looks more likely than a double here – the EFL Cup final clashes with Gameweek 27, with the FA Cup fifth round taking place a few days later.

Chelsea progressing to the EFL Cup final and the fifth round of the FA Cup could leave them with the following schedule in the first two months of 2022:

• GW21: Liverpool (h)
• GW22: Man City (a)
• GW23: Spurs (h)
• GW24: Blank
• GW25: Blank
• GW26: Crystal Palace (a)
• GW27: Blank

Other possibilities

Gameweek 33 and especially Gameweek 36 stand the best chance of being wider Double Gameweeks, whether they involve Chelsea’s Gameweek 24 and 25 postponed matches or otherwise.

Gameweek 33 also clashes with the FA Cup semi-finals, however, so the following free midweek may have to accommodate any postponed Premier League games from that weekend.

And as previously mentioned, Chelsea will have two free midweeks for possible ’emergency’ Premier League fixtures between Gameweeks 25 and 30 depending on when their Champions League last-16 tie is scheduled for.

WHEN WILL BURNLEY V SPURS BE REARRANGED FOR?

Spurs are in a similar boat to Chelsea.

If they lose to West Ham United in the EFL Cup quarter-finals, then their postponed Gameweek 13 clash with Burnley could theoretically be accommodated as part of a juicy-looking Double Gameweek 21.

POSSIBLE GW21 DOUBLES:

• Spurs: Watford (a) and Burnley (a)
• Burnley: Leeds (a) and Spurs (h)

If that fails to happen, then Gameweek 22 could host the outstanding game provided neither side needed an FA Cup third-round replay.

POSSIBLE GW22 DOUBLES:

• Spurs: Arsenal (h) and Burnley (a)
• Burnley: Leicester (h) and Spurs (h)

The weekend of February 5/6 (just before Gameweek 24) would only be free if Spurs and Burnley lose their FA Cup 3rd round ties.

A Double Gameweek 27 would again require Spurs to be out of both domestic cups and Burnley to not reach the FA Cup fifth-round stage.