FA Cup quarter-finals force flurry of Premier League postponements which could have huge impact on title race

29/02/2024 14:45

The Premier League title race could be majorly impacted by the FA Cup quarter-finals following confirmation of the upcoming ties.

After Wednesday night's games, the teams in the final eight of the FA Cup have now been confirmed. 

Six of those teams are in the Premier League and therefore, their inclusion in the cup has led to enforced postponements. 

Manchester City, Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea, Newcastle and Wolves will all have their top-flight games impacted.

The FA Cup quarter-finals will take place on the weekend of March 16/17. 

On that same weekend, all six top-flight teams involved were meant to be in league action and they have all now had games put back. 

And that could be huge for Liverpool and Man City in particular as they compete against each other at the top of the table this season. 

Arsenal are affected too, despite no longer being in the FA Cup, with their scheduled game against Chelsea to be moved. 

It is not confirmed when the fixtures will be rearranged, but their new dates could play a big part in the title race this campaign. 

For the Gunners, their game against Chelsea being postponed means they'll have a 19-day gap before playing Man City in a massive clash. 

Mikel Arteta's men play in the Champions League on March 12 and then won't play another game until coming up against their rivals on March 31, due to their postponement and an international break. 

That gives them extra time to prepare for the match but on the other hand, it will mean less match sharpness than their rivals. 

For City and Liverpool, they face each other on March 10 but they'll both still have a game each to be rearranged for later in the season. 

And they are tough matches with the reigning champions facing Brighton and the Reds travelling to Goodison Park for a Merseyside derby against Everton. 

Arsenal will still have to face Chelsea as well, with that game likely to take place in the final weeks of the season depending on the Gunners' Champions League success. 

Progression to the FA Cup semi-finals could cause even more problems late in the season too, with that taking place at the same time as Gameweek 34 in the Premier League. 

So the FA Cup has caused chaos and the postponement of fixtures may well prove to be crucial in deciding who wins the title.