This Premier League weekend takes on an unusual shape, skipping Saturday entirely as matches unfold from Friday through Tuesday. The shift is due to the upcoming FA Cup final, reserved for a Saturday without league distractions.
Matchweek 37 kicked off Friday, where two Europa League finalists took the field early ahead of their midweek showdown in Bilbao. However, both teams stumbled—Manchester United were narrowly defeated 1-0 at Chelsea, and Tottenham fell 2-0 to Aston Villa.
Sunday sees a flurry of action, starting with Everton hosting Southampton at noon. Later matches include West Ham vs Nottingham Forest, Brentford vs Fulham, and Leicester taking on Ipswich. Arsenal wrap up Sunday by facing Newcastle in a key clash.
On Monday night, Brighton welcomes Liverpool under the lights. Then, Tuesday brings the final two fixtures: Crystal Palace faces Wolves, while title-chasing Manchester City meets Bournemouth.
The lack of Saturday fixtures is by design. The FA had previously announced the Cup final would now take place on the penultimate Saturday of the season with no Premier League games scheduled for the same day.
This isn’t the first time the Cup final has adjusted the schedule. Last season, the final came after the Premier League ended, with Manchester United defeating Manchester City 2-1 on May 25.
With the title already secured by Liverpool and relegation matters settled weeks ago, all eyes turn to the race for Europe. Five Champions League spots are up for grabs, and one more team—either Spurs or Manchester United—will join via the Europa League win.
That leaves sixth place set for the Europa League and seventh, possibly eighth, in contention for a European berth depending on the FA Cup result.
The season will conclude with a simultaneous finale—ten matches all kicking off at 4pm on Sunday, May 25, wrapping up an intense race for European qualification.