Inch by inch, we’re getting closer to knowing the full picture for Blank Gameweek 34 of Fantasy Premier League (FPL).
The weekend’s fifth-round FA Cup results and the draw for the quarter-finals of that competition pushed us a little closer down the track.
WHY THE FA CUP MATTERS TO FPL MANAGERS
In a nutshell, Gameweek 34 clashes with FA Cup semi-final weekend.
So, any Premier League team making the last four of that competition will have their scheduled Premier League fixture postponed.
Gameweek 37 also clashes with the FA Cup final – more of which below.
WHICH TEAMS MAY HAVE THEIR MATCHES POSTPONED IN GAMEWEEK 34?
| GW34 Premier League fixture | Status | The match will be postponed in the following situation: |
| Arsenal v Crystal Palace | Possible postponement | If Crystal Palace beat Fulham (a) in the FA Cup quarter-finals |
| Bournemouth v Manchester United | Possible postponement | If Bournemouth beat Manchester City (h) in the FA Cup quarter-finals |
| Brighton and Hove Albion v West Ham United | Possible postponement | If Brighton and Hove Albion beat Nottingham Forest (h) in the FA Cup quarter-finals |
| Chelsea v Everton | On | |
| Liverpool v Tottenham Hotspur | On | |
| Manchester City v Aston Villa | Possible postponement | If Manchester City beat Bournemouth (a) in the FA Cup quarter-finals and/or Aston Villa beat Preston North End (a) in the FA Cup quarter-finals |
| Newcastle United v Ipswich Town | On | |
| Nottingham Forest v Brentford | Possible postponement | If Nottingham Forest beat Brighton and Hove Albion (a) in the FA Cup quarter-finals |
| Southampton v Fulham | Possible postponement | If Fulham beat Crystal Palace (h) in the FA Cup quarter-finals |
| Wolverhampton Wanderers v Leicester City | On |
Maximum number of postponed matches: 4
Minimum number of postponed matches: 3
Manchester City v Aston Villa looks by far the likeliest Gameweek 34 match to be postponed.
Going off the bookies’ odds, you’d expect Southampton v Fulham and (probably only just) Brighton and Hove Albion v West Ham United to be the next fixtures most likely to fall. Fulham and Brighton have home advantage in the quarter-finals, which usually counts for something.
We will know for sure which matches are off just before Gameweek 30.
WHEN WILL THE POSTPONED GAMEWEEK 34 FIXTURES BE RESCHEDULED FOR?
Above: Click to expand
This is the million-dollar question.
One suggestion is that any postponed Gameweek 34 fixtures would move forward into Gameweek 33 (as seen in Legomane’s image above), creating a double for those sides. There is a free midweek after Gameweek 33, hence the logic there.
But already we have seen the schedulers confound expectations by giving us ‘doubles’ in Gameweek 25 and 32 – clashing with midweek European rounds. Usually, we’d expect the powers that be to avoid such a clash.
So, it’s possible that some postponed Gameweek 34 fixtures… stay in Gameweek 34! Instead of taking place on Saturday or Sunday, these matches would instead be on Tuesday or Wednesday.
However, any side still involved in Europe (ie Arsenal, Aston Villa or Manchester United) couldn’t do that. They would only really have Gameweek 33 as a free slot if they continue to progress in the Champions League/Europa League.
It’s for that reason that Arsenal v Crystal Palace, Manchester City v Aston Villa and Bournemouth v Manchester United will likely fall into Gameweek 33 if their Gameweek 34 matches are postponed.
It’s likely we’ll find out about the new dates just before Gameweek 30 or 31.
WHEN WILL THE POSTPONED GAMEWEEK 37 FIXTURES BE MOVED TO?
The FA Cup final clashes with Gameweek 37.
Any postponed Premier League fixtures may, again, simply be moved forward to the midweek after Gameweek 37. That’s provided the team involved isn’t in the Europa League final, which takes place then.
It could alternatively be brought forward into the midweek after Gameweek 36.
23 days, 12 hours agobest differential for 28/29 to catch ML rival? no free hit