Which Premier League Matches Are Postponed - Latest Updates

Knowinsiders December 17, 2021 | 13:34

There are many Premier League matches that postponed this weekend due to Covid-19.

Premier League matches postponed due to coronavirus

Update: Premier League chiefs will meet on Monday to discuss a potential shutdown!

The reported meeting hints that the other half of top-flight fixtures planned for this weekend are set to go ahead, barring any further outbreaks in the squads set to play.

Those fixtures include Arsenal's trip to Leeds and Tottenham's match at home to Liverpool on Sunday. Wolves are currently planned to host Chelsea while Manchester City will travel to Newcastle as well.

A further four Premier League matches have been postponed this weekend due to COVID-19 outbreaks, the Premier League has announced.

It follows five Premier League matches that were postponed within five days due to COVID-19, with one manager wanting all top-flight fixtures this weekend to be called off amid the ongoing Omicron crisis.

Brighton’s game against Tottenham last week was the first to go, followed by three more cancellations in Gameweek 18.

THE POSTPONED MATCHES - UPDATED

Manchester United v Brighton

Leicester City v Tottenham

Brentford v Manchester United

Watford v Burnley

Brighton v Tottenham Hotspur

Southampton v Brentford

Watford v Crystal Palace

West Ham v Norwich

Everton v Leicester

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Manchester United confirmed its game against Brighton, scheduled for Saturday, had been postponed due to a number of players and support staff in the Red Devils camp having to isolate.

Meanwhile, the Leicester City match against Tottenham, due to take place tonight, has also been postponed following further positive COVID-19 tests among the squad, which meant Leicester did not have enough available players. The Foxes already had to travel to Italy without several players on Dec. 9 for a Europa League group game against Napoli. The Foxes lost the match 3-2 to drop into the Conference League knockout playoffs.

Yesterday, Watford's trip to Burnley was called off just hours before kick-off due to an ongoing COVID-19 outbreak within the Hornets' squad.

And last Sunday's match between Brighton and Spurs was also postponed.

COVID cases are going through the roof at all Premier League clubs, everyone is dealing with it and having problems.

Nine Premier League games have already been called off and other clubs have seen more positive tests come back for staff and squad members – so what are the new Premier League rules regarding COVID-19 and will there be more postponements?

But the Premier League is resisting calls to suspend all matches.

What happens to Premier League and How to minimise the damage?

Which Premier League Matches Are Postponed - Latest Updates

Premier League postponed due to COVID-19

Record numbers of positive tests were returned on Wednesday and Thursday amid fears that social distancing restrictions could return. There is a real concern among football fans that matches are in danger of going back behind closed doors or put off altogether.

"In light of the recent rise in COVID-19 cases across the country, the Premier League has reintroduced Emergency Measures. These include protocols such as more frequent testing, wearing face coverings while indoors, observing social distancing and limiting treatment time", the Premier League said.

Considering some of the issues that the Premier League has encountered during the pandemic, it might have been wise to give managers the option of making more free transfers in a Covid-compromised gameweek, as opposed to being forced into points hits for unexpected abandonments. It doesn’t seem particularly fair that some managers had just one transfer to play with this week, given six teams will not even end up playing.

Managers with more players unaffected by unexpected postponements stand to gain more points than those who don’t. Once a game is off, a chosen player will not score any points until the next match. The FPL website states: “If a Premier League match is postponed and moved out of the Gameweek, any players who are affected will not score FPL points.”

Although it is tricky navigating the choppy FPL seas right now, there are a few steps you can take to try and minimise the damage to your overall rank and league position in your mini-leagues.

Despite calling off five matches in the space of seven days, the Premier League’s mantra, for the time being at least, appears to be that the show must go on.

After Manchester United vs Brighton became the latest match to succumb to rising Covid cases, the Premier League said: “While recognising a number of clubs are experiencing Covid-19 outbreaks, it is the League’s intention to continue its current fixture schedule where safely possible. The health and wellbeing of all concerned remains our priority.”

Manchester United face the prospect of a fixture pile-up.

The Omicron variant of Covid-19 has seen case numbers soar across the country and health officials warn of another surge of positive cases.

Brentford

The Bees have 13 cases among players and staff – the club are now calling for a circuit-breaker shutdown to help clubs recover. Their training ground has been closed and as a result their trip to Southampton on Saturday has been postponed.

Leicester

Would have been without several players for Tottenham's visit on Thursday due to Covid before the game was postponed - despite initial calls being rejected - hours before kick-off. Their training ground was closed on Thursday morning to contain the outbreak but given they have an insufficient number of players available, their weekend trip to Everton is also off.

Manchester United

Case numbers are currently unknown but a large outbreak saw their game with Brentford postponed. Calls to have Saturday's game with Brighton to be postponed were accepted on Thursday due to the outbreak at the club.

Brighton

Had request to have Wednesday's game with Wolves postponed rejected by the Premier League following an outbreak at the club. Graham Potter confirmed there were 'three to four' positive cases before the game. Game with Manchester United has now been postponed.

Norwich

Dean Smith was facing an anxious wait to discover the full extent of the outbreak at the club. The Canaries had discussions with the Premier League over Saturday's clash with West Ham and it was agreed to postpone as they have an insufficient number of players available.

Watford

Saw the game with Burnley postponed just hours before kick-off. Case numbers currently unknown. With their training ground closed, their home match with Crystal Palace has now been confirmed as postponed.

Tottenham

Spurs were the first Premier League club to be hit by the Omicron variant last week and saw games against Brighton and Rennes postponed after cases reached double digits among players and staff. Those who tested positive for the virus are expected to return in the next couple of days after completing their 10-day self-isolation period. Spurs' clash with Leicester on Thursday is postponed despite initial demands to have the game called off were rejected.

Chelsea

After Brentford, the Blues became the latest club to be hit by a Covid outbreak, after it was confirmed ahead of their game with Everton that three more first-team players had tested positive for Covid, with Mateo Kovacic the first Chelsea player to get the virus this week.

Liverpool

It was confirmed just an hour before kick-off against Newcastle on Thursday night that Fabinho, Curtis Jones and Virgil van Dijk are all out having tested positive for Covid.