Manchester United face two months of fixture chaos in the closing weeks of the season after beating Fulham to reach the FA Cup semi-finals.
United came from behind to win 3-1 amid a few moments of madness from Fulham where they conceded a penalty, saw Willian and Aleksandar Mitrovic sent off, as well as manager Marco Silva, and shipped two goals. Bruno Fernandes scored twice, including the spot kick, with Marcel Sabitzer also on target for the hosts.
The victory means Erik ten Hag's side's Premier League date at home to Chelsea next month will be moved with a trip to Brighton in the FA Cup semi-final now taking place on that weekend. That fixture is set to be on Sunday, April 23, with United in Europa League action the proceeding Thursday.
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United have already won the Carabao Cup and are still fighting for more cup silverware this term as well as trying to secure a top-four finish in the Premier League to ensure Champions League football next season. And the FA Cup progress has added to an already congested calendar.
Games against cup opponents Brighton and now Chelsea need to be slotted in to the calendar with no free dates in April, when United are already playing nine matches across four weeks in three competitions. Currently Ten Hag's side have four free midweeks in May to slot in fixtures but two could be taken up by Europa League semi-finals if United defeat Sevilla. The two legs of the last four take place on May 11 and 18, leaving only two options for the Brighton and Chelsea games - weeks beginning May 1 or May 22.
The scheduling is compounded by the date of United's league fixture at West Ham on the weekend of May 6 - which coincides with the weekend of King Charles' coronation. The King's coronation will take place on Saturday May 6, a concert and light show will take place at Windsor Castle on May 7 and May 8 is a Bank Holiday. United's home game with Leeds, originally scheduled for September 18, was postponed by five months due to Greater Manchester Police's presence at the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II on September 19.
The Premier League season finishes on Sunday, May 29 with the FA Cup final on Saturday, June 3. The Europa League final is on Wednesday, May 31. In 2017, United almost encountered a similar quandary as they won the League Cup, reached the quarter-finals of the FA Cup and eventually triumphed in the Europa League.
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