Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta was critical of how the Premier League scheduled the Gunners’ recent fixtures this week, with his side having to play on Wednesday and then Saturday in the same week. It gave them just a few days between the loss to Liverpool and the eventual victory over Aston Villa.
Arteta, following the Liverpool game, sarcastically said: “Thank you to the Premier League.” claiming that it was not fair how his side had been scheduled in the league compared to others. He added: “I’m talking about the Premier League. When you are in Europe, it’s a different story. What I’m comparing is the Premier League and it’s very different.
“We’re the only team that has been scheduled like that. Again, I’m not talking about Europe because some of those teams are not going to be involved in Europe.” This opened up discussion over the schedule yet again, something that tends to crop up a few times in a season.
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However, when you add in Europe and other competitions, the picture changes completely. As per a report from The Athletic, it is revealed that Chelsea have the fewest days between fixtures this season out of the whole Premier League.
Thomas Tuchel’s success in all competitions this season is seen as a blessing on the pitch, but a curse when it comes to fixture congestion. The Blues made it all the way to the final of the Carabao Cup, while also making their way to the semi-final of the FA Cup so far and the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
All-in-all, this means that the West London outfit only have 3.67 days break between games on average. They have also played the most games out of anyone, already getting through 49 games this season.
It’s no wonder Tuchel has had to juggle his team selection so often this season, with injuries causing problems during the festive period in particular. It begs the question of whether with a fully fit squad and lighter schedule, his side would challenge for the Premier League later into the season than they have so far.
The German coach has already hit out at the fixture schedule this season, saying back in February: ""If anybody wants to explain to me how to organise it and how we keep the quality in the game I am open to discussion but it's very hard to see how this should happen.
"I am a big fan of quality and not quantity. This should answer the question."
As for other teams and how their breaks compare, Liverpool are a close second to Chelsea with just 3.79 days break on average, while West Ham, Tottenham and Manchester City round out the top five.
Arsenal sit exactly halfway in the ranks in tenth. They have had an average of 5.09 days of break on average, though their lack of European football and an early FA Cup exit will have played a hand in this.
While Arteta’s argument is directly aimed at the scheduling of the Premier League, it shows just how much the rest of the league have to handle when selecting their sides as well as how deep their squad is. Chelsea in particular will be thanking their academy for the help in bringing useful players through to add to squad depth.
