GWT: PL Matchweek (mostly) 16 & 17

[Savant]

Friday 10 December

Brentford x Watford

Saturday 11 December

Man City x Wolverhampton
Arsenal x Southampton
Chelsea x Leeds
Liverpool x Aston Villa
Norwich x Man Utd

Sunday 12 December

Brighton x Tottenham - postponed
Burnley x West Ham
Leicester x Newcastle
Crystal Palace x Everton

Tuesday 14 December

Brentford x Man Utd - postponed
Norwich x Aston Villa
Man City x Leeds

Wednesday 15 December

Brighton x Wolverhampton
Burnley x Watford - postponed
Crystal Palace x Southampton
Arsenal x West Ham

Thursday 16 December

Leicester x Tottenham - postponed
Chelsea x Everton
Liverpool x Newcastle

Click to read more...

 

[Say Hey Kid]

Rio Ferdinand sends message to England boss Gareth Southgate about Mason Greenwood

 

[AB13]

Spurs game against Rennes has been postponed. Their game against Brighton this weekend is also looking likely to be postponed.

Spurs have eight players out due to COVID. Arsenal had five for the first game of the season and were told to carry on and play. Nice.

 

[Paulie Gualtieri]

Spurs have eight players out due to COVID. Arsenal had five for the first game of the season and were told to carry on and play. Nice.

Pretty sure Arsenal didn't ask for that game to be postponed.

 

[robertmac43]

Unfortunate that Brighton's game is being pushed back. Premier League setting a precedent here, I hope smaller clubs get the same postponement treatment as COVID gets worse again.

 

[spintheblackcircle]

Unfortunate that Brighton's game is being pushed back. Premier League setting a precedent here, I hope smaller clubs get the same postponement treatment as COVID gets worse again.

If it happens in March and the small clubs have no European, EFL and/or FA Cup matches to deal with, why would they? The fact that Spurs have 7 matches in 21 days matter. If Norwich just has a match every 7 days, they shouldn't get the same break.

 

[AB13]

If it happens in March and the small clubs have no European, EFL and/or FA Cup matches to deal with, why would they? The fact that Spurs have 7 matches in 21 days matter. If Norwich just has a match every 7 days, they shouldn't get the same break.

The counterargument to this is the classic Chris Wilder "smaller clubs have less money to buy quality depth/rotational options" argument. And I think he does have a point.

 

[spintheblackcircle]

The counterargument to this is the classic Chris Wilder "smaller clubs have less money to buy quality depth/rotational options" argument. And I think he does have a point.

If Norwich has 7 matches in 3 weeks and a Covid outbreak, their games should be postponed.

If they have 4 matches in a month.......deal with it.

 

[AB13]

If Norwich has 7 matches in 3 weeks and a Covid outbreak, their games should be postponed.

If they have 4 matches in a month.......deal with it.

You could say Spurs have 7 matches in three weeks, use superior squad depth to deal with it.

 

[Paulie Gualtieri]

Unfortunate that Brighton's game is being pushed back. Premier League setting a precedent here, I hope smaller clubs get the same postponement treatment as COVID gets worse again.

Brighton have a lot of injuries so I don't think they mind postponement.

I don't see why other clubs wouldn't get the same treatment. Fulham got games postponed last year.

 

[al secord]

Still can't get used to friday afternoon matches.

 

[robertmac43]

If it happens in March and the small clubs have no European, EFL and/or FA Cup matches to deal with, why would they? The fact that Spurs have 7 matches in 21 days matter. If Norwich just has a match every 7 days, they shouldn't get the same break.

Does this have anything to do with the fixture congestion? All I have seen is there is a COVID outbreak and that the game is being postponed for that reason.

Now I don't want to make light of a COVID outbreak, these guys all gave families that they don't want to get sick. That being said I wonder if the same accommodations would be given to Brighton, Norwich, Burnley etc.

 

[bluesfan94]

If Norwich has 7 matches in 3 weeks and a Covid outbreak, their games should be postponed.

If they have 4 matches in a month.......deal with it.

Why does the number of games change anything?

 

[spintheblackcircle]

Does this have anything to do with the fixture congestion? All I have seen is there is a COVID outbreak and that the game is being postponed for that reason..

All UEFA said was:

"We can confirm that the match Tottenham-Rennes will not take place tonight. Further info will follow in due course.”

 

[robertmac43]

Brighton have a lot of injuries so I don't think they mind postponement.

I don't see why other clubs wouldn't get the same treatment. Fulham got games postponed last year.

Definitely injured but that problem will remain for some time, unfortunately, sounding like a few players have injuries that are likely to linger. Would have been nice to get a game against a weaker Spurs team as bad as that sounds. I'm just thinking opportunistically here as Brighton has completed the last 2 games with only 10 men due to injuries. Would be nice to have a game where the personal challenges are level.

That's a fair point on the Fulham thing, I forgot about that one.

 

[robertmac43]

All UEFA said was:

"We can confirm that the match Tottenham-Rennes will not take place tonight. Further info will follow in due course.”

The club itself says its COVID related.

 

[hatterson]

If the game is being postponed due to COVID, their current schedule or their potential future schedule shouldn’t matter. Either it’s safe to play the game or it isn’t.

 

[Paulie Gualtieri]

The club itself says its COVID related.

UEFA had not postponed the game yet at this point. This statement was essentially made to put pressure on UEFA to postpone the game or Spurs would refuse to play and forfeit.

 

[robertmac43]

UEFA had not postponed the game yet at this point. This statement was essentially made to put pressure on UEFA to postpone the game or Spurs would refuse to play and forfeit.

Ohh okay - I was under the impression that the game had in fact been canceled. I wonder what the angle is from UEFA to post what @spintheblackcircle mentioned above.

 

[Paulie Gualtieri]

Ohh okay - I was under the impression that the game had in fact been canceled. I wonder what the angle is from UEFA to post what @spintheblackcircle mentioned above.

It has been cancelled. It hadn't yet when Spurs put out the statement.

 

[robertmac43]

It has been cancelled. It hadn't yet when Spurs put out the statement.

On one hand, I clearly cannot read today.

On the other, I don't think it matters when Spurs posted that tweet. It clearly says the game is being canceled due to COVID which was the initial debate.

 

[gary69]

UEFA had not postponed the game yet at this point. This statement was essentially made to put pressure on UEFA to postpone the game or Spurs would refuse to play and forfeit.

Uefa wanted to make sure and see medical evidence that Spurs absentees are enough according to rules, which state that if clubs have 13 fit players on their A list, including a goalkeeper, they must play. It's probably a money issue as well, since a Premier League representative at the knockout stage for this new competition, means more income for everyone, so they wouldn't want a fortfeit in any circumstances.

 

[Paulie Gualtieri]

Club statement – Brighton & Hove Albion | Tottenham Hotspur

Officially postponed. Sucks but it had to be done.

 

[Savant]

Emmanuel Dennis is certainly making his case for Fantasy PL player of the year.

Goal seemed a bit against the run of play but Brentford is so depleted right now

 

[robertmac43]

If this holds for Watford. it will shape up to be one of those results you remember as a team right above the drop zone.

Puts them 6 points up and drags much of the mid-table closer