When Chelsea may play the next Premier League games amid Arsenal and Tottenham confusion
Chelsea has been one of the major casualties, with their fixture schedule being disrupted both before and after the international break.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The news that Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II died peacefully at Balmoral Castle in the latter part of last week shocked the world. Following a meeting with all Premier League clubs, the general consensus was heeded, with the majority of teams opting for a complete cancellation of fixtures. This meant that the Fulham vs Chelsea London derby, as well as every other fixture, was cancelled. Thankfully, from the perspective of Chelsea supporters, UEFA did not take the same action as the English top flight, who wanted to pay their respects with a no-football policy over the weekend during the national morning period, was not reciprocated in Europe.
As a result, Graham Potter made his Chelsea debut in the 1-1 draw with RB Salzburg. Super Sunday was supposed to be a special one between Chelsea and Liverpool, but it was cancelled, along with Manchester United vs. Leeds, which is a category 1 fixture for policing requirements, due to a large proportion of the police forces across the country preparing for their largest operation in recent history with the upcoming state funeral on Monday.
Meanwhile, Arsenal and Tottenham will play their game week 7 fixtures against Brentford and Leicester, respectively, with both deemed to require fewer police officers present, making it easier for the Metropolitan Police to deal with.
If this wasn’t bad enough, additional disruptions that are bound to throw another curveball could affect every London club. This is because planned rail strikes, which were supposed to take place before the Queen’s death, are set to take place on two days in October: the 1st and 5th.
In essence, this would cast doubt on Crystal Palace vs. Chelsea, with no final decision expected until after the international break. If the worst happens and this London derby is cancelled due to the train situation, the Blues’ next match could be a home Champions League game against AC Milan, albeit on one of the strike days.
If both games are cancelled due to rail strikes, the Wolves home game on October 8 will be the next game Potter will oversee as the new Chelsea manager. Surprisingly, it is against Bruno Lage’s side, who will be travelling to West London with Diego Costa, an iconic figure in these parts of the woods.
