Why aren't Arsenal playing this weekend as winter break rules explained

13 January 2024 , 07:00

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Mikel Arteta has invited families on Arsenal's mid-season break to Dubai (Image: Getty Images)

Arsenal are enjoying some Dubai sun as they look to get their campaign back on track following their Premier League mid-season break.

Mikel Arteta ’s squad have been at a training camp in the Gulf while half the top flight enjoys a brief rest and the other 10 sides battle it out before getting their break next weekend.

This is the second year that the Premier League is having an enforced break - spreading matchweek 21 across two weekends to ensure fans are not entirely starved of action while teams get to recuperate following the hectic Christmas schedule.

All five games this weekend will be televised, starting with Burnley against Luton last night, and concluding with Manchester United hosting Tottenham on Sunday afternoon.

Five more games - including Arsenal ’s meeting against Crystal Palace -will be spread across next weekend, when the 10 sides in action this weekend enjoy their time off.

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And there will not be a single 3pm Saturday Premier League game across January as a result of the break.

The break was first introduced in January 2020 - but scrapped from then until now on account of the Covid-19 pandemic and last year’s World Cup - and is intended to balance out the hectic Christmas schedule.

However it remains unpopular with some managers, including Everton ’s Sean Dyche. The Toffees boss believes it is better to have a more even spread of fixtures - and it is of greater benefit to the big clubs.

“For me, I don’t see the point of it when you’ve just had as many games in December. It’s not that beneficial,” he said.

“It would be better to lose one or two of these games [in December] and put them in there to spread it out. I think that’s a better scenario. With more games, the big clubs with big squads are bound to gain because of their big squads.

“But when you haven’t got a big squad like us and you get injuries, you’re bound to be stretched. If you put a couple of games in that break then it is more level across the season. I’ll be surprised if that break doesn’t disappear, just from the scheduling.”

Everton were one of seven Premier League clubs to have their breaks cut because of FA Cup replays scheduled to take place on Tuesday and Wednesday.

After Liverpool ’s win against Arsenal, Jurgen Klopp said it was “the biggest bonus ever” to not have an extra game. But Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson admitted their replay with Everton was “the last thing either of us wanted” and Brentford boss Thomas Frank said having to face Wolves again is “the worst outcome in every aspect.”

Alan Smith