Arsenal is one of several clubs to have their game postponed. (Getty)
A total of six Premier League matches are postponed this week including four games on Saturday. Today’s postponed matches are Manchester City-Stoke City, Middlesbrough-Sunderland, Crystal Palace-Tottenham and Arsenal-Leicester City.
Sunday’s match between Southampton and Manchester United has also been postponed. Finally, Monday’s match between Chelsea and Watford has been rescheduled.
International tournaments have caused the matches to be rescheduled. As teams advance in the tournaments, it forces some Premier League matches to be rescheduled.
The FA Cup features Middlesbrough, Manchester City, Arsenal, Tottenham, Chelsea and Manchester United as part of the teams in the quarter-final. Manchester City is also in the Champions League Round of 16. Leicester City is in the Round of 16 as well.
Heading into the weekend, Chelsea sits in first place in the Premier League and has a 10 point lead on Tottenham, the next closest team in the standings. Man. City (56), Liverpool (52) and Arsenal (50) round out the top five with Manchester United on Arsenal’s heels with 49 points.
Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has noted the tournaments can put a strain on the club. Mourinho spoke with EuroSport about the tension.
The accumulation of FA Cup and League Cup and the match postponement make it really hard for us. If we progress in the competitions we will be in trouble in May… It will be difficult but we don’t throw away competitions. We know it can have an impact in the Premier League because we compete against teams in other circumstances. For example, Liverpool play only in the Premier League, Chelsea in the Premier League and FA Cup. Tottenham are in similar situation to us but we want to progress. We prefer difficult and progressing to easy and being out of the competition.
There are still four matches that will be played this week with three on Saturday, March 11 and one on Sunday, March 12. Everton takes on West Bromwich Albion at 10 a.m. Eastern. Hull City battles Swansea City at 10 a.m. Eastern. Bournemouth squares off with West Ham United at 10 a.m. Eastern.
Sunday’s lone match features Liverpool taking on Burnley at 12 p.m. Eastern.
