Queen’s funeral: Chelsea-Liverpool and United-Leeds postponed

The Premier starts again next weekend, after the stop for mourning. But not all, with the big match Chelsea-Liverpool originally scheduled for Sunday 18 postponed to a later date due to public order problems related to the funeral of Queen Elizabeth, scheduled in London the next day. “Following consultation with the clubs, local police and other authorities involved, there was no other option but to opt for the postponement of three of the 10 matches scheduled in the 8th round,” the Premier wrote in a statement.

postponed

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Chelsea-Liverpool was immediately considered the most risky match. Because over a million people are expected in London for the Queen’s funeral, and the police employed to ensure the safety of both the hundreds of thousands of people who will queue from Thursday to Sunday at Westminster Hall for a tribute to the sovereign in the chamber ardente set up in the heart of the capital, both of the incoming foreign dignitaries, from US President Joe Biden to the other Heads of State.

It is impossible, in these conditions, to play a game of such a high level with guaranteed safety. In London, however, a Premier match will be played on Sunday: Brentford-Arsenal, with an early kick-off at 13.00 Italian time. Also miss Manchester United-Leeds, which should have played at Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon as the police will be busy in London and therefore cannot guarantee safety for a match considered “hot”. Brighton-Crystal Palace, scheduled for Saturday but which had already been postponed due to the train strike (in the meantime revoked due to the Queen’s death), remains in the list of postponed games.

the calendar

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Here is the new schedule of the eighth round of Premier.

Friday 16: Aston Villa-Southampton and Nottingham Forest-Fulham, both at 9pm Italian time.

Saturday 17: Wolverhampton-Manchester City at 13.30 Italian time; Newcastle-Bournemouth at 4pm, Tottenham-Leicester at 6.30pm.

Sunday 18: Brentford-Arsenal at 1pm, Everton-West Ham at 3.15pm.

recoveries

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As for the matches of the 7th round, missed last weekend, the Premier League has not communicated dates for recoveries. It is difficult to play before the November-December World Cup: the calendar is extremely jammed and there are no free dates.