Word on the news-wires this afternoon has thrown a curve-ball our way, West Brom have pre-emptively announced that if Manchester United and Arsenal draw in the FA Cup next weekend, then any replay of that tie will take place the following weekend, which would mean the postponement of two key Premier League fixtures.
The matches in question would be Arsenal’s trip to West Brom and Manchester United’s hosting of Bolton, leaving all four sides with a dreaded “blank” in gameweek 30.
We believe this is due to the competing clubs commitments and likely/possible/probable (delete as appropriate) progression to the next round of the Champions League leaving no gap in the schedule for them to replay at any time before the FA Cup Semi-Finals…
From this we can also glean that Manchester City could very well be in a similar situation. Given that Roberto Mancini’s men are still in the Europa League, should they progress through their upcoming two legged tie against Dynamo Kiev, then they may have to postpone an upcoming Premier League fixture on the off chance they draw at home to Reading. Either that or The FA enforce the possibility of another Monday night replay, providing a reprieve for the everyday Fantasy Manager, but no doubt irking Mancini immensely once again.
We can only hope that our assumption that this is due to European commitments. If this is not the case, then we could be seeing a whole spate of blank gameweeks as ties involving Birmingham, Bolton, Stoke and West Ham would also take a hatchet to the schedules should honours end even in their Cup ties. We’re expecting/assuming/crossing fingers any replays for theses sides would take place in the midweek of April 6.
Fantasy Managers out there buying in Arsenal or United assets; and perhaps City players too (let’s not even think about the other four aforementioned sides) should be prepared for the possibility of a blank gameweek to come were the stars to align in the worst way possible. Or, as is easier, let’s hope all the FA Cup Quarter-Finals next weekend finish with a definitive result and that the fear of possible postponements can be dismissed.
Of course, one should also be aware that further progression through the next round of the FA Cup also has it’s own intricacies with regards to the upcoming fixture list in gameweek 33…we could leave that for another day, but we really think you can cope.
- If Arsenal beat Manchester United in the Quarter-Finals then their fixture at home to Liverpool will be postponed to a later date leaving their gameweek 33 demoted back to a single fixture and leaving Liverpool with no game.
- If Manchester City get past Reading in the Quarter-Finals then their fixture at home to Tottenham will be postponed to a later date leaving the Citizens with a blank fixture in gameweek 33 and Spurs’ double demoted back to a single.
- If Birmingham get the better of Bolton in the Quarter-Finals then they too will also forfeit their home tie with Sunderland for at least one gameweek leaving their double-header cut down to size and Sunderland without a game in gameweek 33.
- Should any other Premier League team make the Semi-Finals then they will, of course, have to rescheduled their gameweek 33 fixture too for a day at Wembley. Expectation at this late stage in the season is it will take place in the midweek of the same gameweek alongside the already planned Spurs/Arsenal and Chelsea/Birmingham games, but it can’t be taken as 100% read that it will happen – but precedence seems to indicate it likely.
Lots of information to take in that could ultimately prove to be something we need never have known – sometimes ignorance is bliss in that respect.
However, we want everyone to be aware of all the possibilities before them when considering their sides. Knowledge is power… we hope. Confused? Probably. I often am and these fixture shenanigans are my bread and butter.
The FA Cup – the bane of the Fantasy Premier League manager.
