Chelsea could face four games in eight days

[Lazie]

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Premier League refuses to extend season beyond May 13

Staff and agencies
Tuesday March 20, 2007
Guardian Unlimited

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Chelsea v Man Utd: but when? Photograph: Tom Jenkins/Guardian
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><DIV id=GuardianArticleBody>Chelsea could be forced to play four games in the last week of the season after the Premier League ruled out any prospect of their Premiership match with Manchester United being delayed beyond May 13, the scheduled last day of the campaign.

With both clubs advancing to the FA Cup semi-finals last night, their planned April 15 meeting at Stamford Bridge will have to be pushed back. For Chelsea in particular, this represents a problem because Jose Mourinho's men are running out of free dates in the fixture calendar. As things stand, the only spare dates remaining for the fixture are between the final two games of the Premiership season.</DIV>

Chelsea's situation is further complicated by Spurs' Uefa Cup quarter-final first leg at Sevilla on April 5. Although the Spanish side are attempting to get the game moved because of the major religious festival which takes place in the town at that time, if Uefa refuses their request, Tottenham are entitled to ask for their following Premiership game - at Chelsea on the Saturday - to be put back 24 hours.

But with Chelsea due to travel to Spain themselves to face Valencia in the Champions League the following Tuesday, manager Jose Mourinho seems sure to resist the switch, a move which could see the Chelsea v Spurs game shifted to the last week of the season as well.

Chelsea's possible fixture pile-up:

Sat, March 31 - Watford (a) - Premiership
Wed, April 4 - Valencia (h) - Champions League
*Sat, April 7 - Tottenham (h) - Premiership
Tue, April 10 - Valencia (a) - Champions League
Sun, April 15 - Blackburn (neutral venue) - FA Cup
Wed, April 18 - West Ham (a) - Premiership
Sat, April 21 - Newcastle (a) - Premiership
**Tue/Wed, April 24/25 - Liverpool or PSV Eindhoven - Champions League
Sat, April 28 - Bolton (h) - Premiership
**Tue/Wed, May 1/2 - Liverpool or PSV Eindhoven - Champs League
Sat, May 5 - Arsenal (a) - Premiership
***Tue, May 8 - Manchester United (h) - Premiership
***Thu, May 10 - Tottenham (h) - Premiership
Sun, May 13 - Everton (h) - Premiership
**Sat, May 19 - FA Cup final (Wembley)
**Wed, May 23 - Champions League final (Athens)
*Subject to postponement
**Subject to winning matches in previous round
***Not yet arranged

[Karl]

RE: Chelsea could face four games in eight days

Well if Chelsea reaches both finals...win, lose or draw...and buss di Gunners arse in the upcoming EPL match dem not only Jose but his TEAM would be worthy of the title "The Special One"!

YesI, dat wudda a be sum-ting!