The Tuesday UEFA Champions League ties involving English clubs pretty much went the way we expected.
Chelsea and Manchester City bowed out as they spectacularly failed to overturn three-goal, first-leg deficits, while Arsenal progressed to the quarter-finals after their latest win to nil.
We’ve seen a few questions on site asking about how the results (particularly City’s) affect the Blank/Double Gameweek picture, so we thought we’d round up what we know here.
Thanks, as ever, to Legomane for the graphics.
BLANK GAMEWEEK 31
Real Madrid’s win just about keeps alive the possibility of Manchester City and Crystal Palace still having a fixture in Gameweek 31.
City v Palace could be played in the midweek of April 7/8 *if* the Eagles are also eliminated from Europe this week.
So, we’ll be keeping a beady eye on the second leg of Thursday’s UEFA Conference League tie involving Larnaca and Palace (0-0 from the first leg) to see if Oliver Glasner’s side progress. Palace are still the favourites (approx. 75% with the bookies) for that tie.
If Palace get through, both they and City definitely blank in Gameweek 31.
Even if they’re eliminated, the Premier League (and the broadcasters) may decide to go for a different slot than early-April anyway. It could easily be housed in the midweeks after Gameweeks 32, 33, 35 or 36, for example.
DOUBLE GAMEWEEK 33/BLANK GAMEWEEK 34
The Gunners’ progress makes it now very likely that Arsenal and Newcastle United will double in Gameweek 33 and blank in Gameweek 34.
A Gameweek 34 blank will be confirmed if Mikel Arteta’s side makes it past Southampton in the FA Cup quarter-finals on Saturday 4 April, as seems very likely. The bookies give that a circa 88% chance!
Other free midweeks would be in short supply, hence the need to drop into Gameweek 33:
As for Chelsea, their 8-2 aggregate loss to PSG leaves them Europe-less.
They have an even-easier-on-paper FA Cup quarter-final (at home to Port Vale), so their Gameweek 34 fixture against Brighton and Hove Albion will very likely be postponed.
There are lots of free midweeks to accommodate that fixture (including Gameweek 34) but, with it being a televised match, the broadcasters may prefer Gameweek 33 to avoid a clash with other televised games (eg the Champions League):
IN SUMMARY
- Manchester City and Crystal Palace will still probably (not yet definitely) blank in Gameweek 31. City and Palace to have 1-2 doubles thereafter, one likely to be in Gameweek 33.
- Arsenal and Newcastle United very likely to double in Gameweek 33 and blank in Gameweek 34.
- Chelsea and Brighton and Hove Albion‘s Gameweek 34 match likely to be postponed. That fixture could stay in Gameweek 34 or move to another midweek, likely Gameweek 33.
