As football fans, at one point or the other, we must have wondered if too many matches are being played in the Premier League. This article would shed more light on that.
Everyone loves to watch the Premier League. As a fan, it would be fun to watch the Premier League daily. But it’s not so much fun for players who kick the ball for 90 minutes every 3 days.
In other leagues, there are just two local competitions – one league and one cup competition but that is not the case with the Premier League.
A Premier League team is eligible to play in at least 3 local competitions – Premier League, the Carabao cup, and the FA Cup. In addition, some teams would also feature in the Champions League.
All of these make Premier League players and even coaches complain.
Before going into details, let’s have an idea of what a typical season is like for a Premier League team.
Breakdown of Matches of a Premier League Team
As mentioned earlier, a Premier League team participates in at least three other competitions – FA Cup, Carabao Cup, and UEFA Champions League.
In the Premier League, for example, a team plays 38 matches per season. Therefore, in total, there are 380 Premier League matches per season.
The FA cup is a bit different. A Premier League team starts in the 6th round of the FA Cup and it’s a knockout format.
From the 6th round, a team would play at least 8 FA cup matches and could potentially play up to 15 matches if there are replays.
In the Carabao Cup, a team can play up to 6 matches.
The Champions League has a mix of group matches and knockout fixtures. A Premier League team could play up to 13 Champions League matches per season.
In total, a Premier League team could play up to 72 matches per season.
The Verdict
In reality, though, no Premier League team has played up to 72 matches in a season. But we’ve seen some Premier League teams play up to 65 matches in a season.
No top-flight team from other leagues could play as much as a Premier League team per season.
The Royal College of Podiatry conducted a study and found out that the Premier League records 2.3 injuries per game on average, which is more than other leagues.
Moreover, many players and coaches regularly complain about the grueling fixtures or schedules in the Premier League.
In view of all of these, it is safe to say that Premier League teams play too many football matches.
Possible Solution
One possible solution to this problem is to take out one of the two domestic cups, maybe the Carabao cup.
A similar approach was taken in the French League as the Coupe de Ligue was abolished in order to have a ‘reduced season schedule’.
Conclusion
After all said and done, the Premier League remains highly competitive and enjoyable.
As fans, we’d love to watch it every day. However, the players do not find the grueling fixtures enjoyable.
While a permanent solution to this issue is hanging in the air, coaches may resort more to squad rotation in order to keep players fresh and fit for a long season.
Further Reading:
- The Best Premier League Center Backs Of All Time
- Best Premier League Midfielders of All Time
- What’s The point of the UEFA Nations League?
- How Championship Playoffs Work?
- How Many Matches Are Played In The Championship?
