The UEFA Champions League, Europa League and Europa Conference League draws were made last week, with the quarter-final ties getting underway next month.
As we have learned the hard way in the past, midweek European involvement can have a knock-on effect for Fantasy Premier League (FPL) managers regarding domestic squad rotation.
After Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal bowed out in the previous round, we are now down to four Premier League sides still competing in Europe: Manchester City, Chelsea, Manchester United and West Ham United.
With that in mind, we thought it was worth a look at the fixture schedule for those teams up until the end of April.
MANCHESTER CITY
- Saturday 1 April: Gameweek 29 – Liverpool (h)
- Saturday 8 April: Gameweek 30 – Southampton (a)
- Tuesday 11 April: Champions League, quarter-finals – Bayern Munich (h)
- Saturday 15 April: Gameweek 31 – Leicester City (h)
- Wednesday 19 April: Champions League, quarter-finals – Bayern Munich (a)
- Saturday 22/Sunday 23 April: FA Cup, semi-finals – Sheffield United
- Wednesday 26 April: Gameweek 33 – Arsenal (h)
- Sunday 30 April: Gameweek 34 – Fulham (a)
There’s only one free midweek for Man City in April, which immediately follows their return to action after the international break. Pep Guardiola’s side will play eight fixtures in the 30 days of April, with five Premier League fixtures around home and away ties against Bayern Munich and an FA Cup semi-final.
Title rivals Arsenal have an advantage in this department, given the fact they are knocked out of every cup competition, meaning their only focus is the league.
The Gameweek 30 and, in particular, 31 fixtures are of some concern in the above schedule, given that they are placed around those two mouthwatering Champions League clashes, so getting 90 minutes out of Erling Haaland (£12.0m) might not be a guarantee. Unfortunately, games against Southampton and Leicester City are Saturday evening kick-offs, reducing the likelihood of early team news leaks.
If there are doubts about the Norwegian’s minutes, Manchester United have good fixtures in both rounds, while Tottenham Hotspur host Bournemouth in Gameweek 31, which could be important for captaincy.
Haaland has started each of Man City’s last 14 Premier League matches but has withdrawn from international duty this week with a groin injury, which will need to be monitored as we approach the next FPL deadline.
West Ham (h) and Brighton and Hove Albion (a) are the two Man City fixtures that still need to be arranged, likely slotting into Gameweeks 34 and 37.
CHELSEA
- Saturday 1 April: Gameweek 29 – Aston Villa (h)
- Tuesday 4 April: Gameweek 29 – Liverpool (h)
- Saturday 8 April: Gameweek 30 – Wolverhampton Wanderers (a)
- Wednesday 12 April: Champions League, quarter-finals – Real Madrid (a)
- Saturday 15 April: Gameweek 31 – Brighton and Hove Albion (h)
- Tuesday 18 April: Champions League, quarter-finals – Real Madrid (h)
- Wednesday 26 April: Gameweek 33 – Brentford (h)
- Saturday 29 April: Gameweek 34 – Arsenal (a)
Chelsea are about to embark on a very busy period, potentially heightening the uncertainty around Graham Potter’s teamsheets.
The Champions League quarter-final first-leg falls in-between Gameweeks 30 and 31, with the return clash a week later. That involves a Wednesday-Saturday (3pm) turnaround, something top-flight managers often moan about, meaning we should probably flag Gameweek 31 as high-risk.
However, the Blues do have a free weekend in Gameweek 32 after Man Utd – their scheduled opponent – advanced in the FA Cup, creating a blank.
The return to fitness of Ben Chilwell (£6.0m) and Reece James (£5.8m), both of whom are currently on international duty with England, has been welcomed by Fantasy managers, but their game-time in April is a bit of a concern. Especially James, who Potter has previously promised to be careful with given his previous. To a lesser extent, Kai Havertz (£7.6m) might see managed minutes at some point in the next month, too.
Man Utd (a) is the only Chelsea fixture that needs to be rearranged and could feasibly slot into Gameweek 34 or 37.
MANCHESTER UNITED
- Sunday 2 April: Gameweek 29 – Newcastle United (a)
- Wednesday 5 April: Gameweek 29 – Brentford (h)
- Saturday 8 April: Gameweek 30 – Everton (h)
- Thursday 13 April: Europa League, quarter-finals – Sevilla (h)
- Sunday 16 April: Gameweek 31 – Nottingham Forest (a)
- Thursday 20 April: Europa League, quarter-finals – Sevilla (a)
- 22/23 April: FA Cup, semi-finals – Brighton and Hove Albion
- Thursday 27 April: Gameweek 33 – Tottenham Hotspur (a)
- Sunday 30 April: Gameweek 34 – Aston Villa (a)
Man Utd played 13 consecutive midweek games heading into the March international break and could potentially play twice a week for the remainder of the season if they make it through their Europa League quarter-final with Sevilla. If they reach the finals of the FA Cup and Europa League, they will end up having played 65 matches in total this campaign!
In April, United play nine times in three competitions: six Premier League matches, plus an FA Cup semi-final and a Europa League double-header.
Rearranged games against Brighton (a) and Chelsea (h) also need to be slotted into the calendar, although these will fall in May, almost certainly in Gameweeks 34 and 37.
No side has been busier than United since the Boxing Day resumption, with the machine-like Bruno Fernandes (£9.6m) and Luke Shaw (£5.2m) the only outfielders to start every single Premier League fixture. Marcus Rashford (£7.3m) has failed to start just one in Gameweek 18, but has pulled out of the England squad with a knock sustained in the FA Cup win over Fulham, which will need to be monitored.
“Definitely, it’s a tough season. With the World Cup in between, there’s an overload on the players, that’s quite clear. The load on them is too much.” – Erik ten Hag, speaking in February
It remains to be seen whether Erik ten Hag would consider benching any of his key men in the league with a top-four push still on the agenda, but Gameweeks 30 and 31 are possible windows for minute management given the surrounding fixtures.
WEST HAM UNITED
- Sunday 2 April: Gameweek 29 – Southampton (h)
- Wednesday 5 April: Gameweek 29 – Newcastle United (h)
- Saturday 8 April: Gameweek 30 – Fulham (a)
- Thursday 13 April: Europa Conference League, quarter-finals – Gent (a)
- Sunday 16 April: Gameweek 31 – Arsenal (h)
- Thursday 20 April: Europa Conference League, quarter-finals – Gent (h)
- Sunday 23 April: Gameweek 32 – Bournemouth (a)
- Wednesday 26 April: Gameweek 33 – Liverpool (h)
- Saturday 29 April: Gameweek 34 – Crystal Palace (a)
There is significantly less interest in West Ham’s assets from an FPL perspective, but they do have a reasonably appealing home double-header against Southampton and Newcastle United in Double Gameweek 29.
The Hammers went all the way to the semi-finals of the Europa League last season and we saw a bit of (but not wholesale) rotation in the surrounding league games, with Jarrod Bowen (£8.0m) benched in Gameweek 34. It’s an unlikely occurrence this time, however, given that they are in the midst of a relegation battle.
“I’ve got a few teams to watch to get myself ready for what we all know is going to be a colossal couple of months. We’ve got a huge amount of games and also the level of importance.” – David Moyes
West Ham’s involvement in Europe could be good news for Arsenal in Gameweek 31. The Hammers have Europa Conference League quarter-finals on either side when Mikel Arteta’s troops will be at home resting.
Man City (a) is the only West Ham fixture that still needs to be rearranged, and will almost certainly slot into Gameweek 34 or 37.
1 year, 2 months agoThis ref is dreadful!!