Liverpool’s later meeting with Chelsea at the end of the week has officially been postponed the Premier League has confirmed in a statement.
The decision has come about following a period of ‘extensive consultation with clubs, police, local Safety Advisory Groups and other relevant authorities’ with no other viable alternative identified ahead of Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral next Monday.
It’s strange that decision-makers apparently didn’t consider swapping the away meeting in London for our hosting of the Blues later in January as an ideal solution, though the current circumstances do certainly benefit Jurgen Klopp’s men given ongoing concerns around performance levels.
That being said, it will raise some level of concern about congestion down the line – particularly with a World Cup sandwiched in between the first-half of the campaign and the second – bearing in mind that our clash with Wolves has likewise suffered the exact same fate.
Whilst it will undoubtedly frustrate managers across the English top-flight, the reality remains that the extra time off away from competitive fixtures will grant the former Dortmund boss and his coaching team extra time to work on solving our problems on the pitch and welcome key men back from injury.
Postponed games:
Sat: Brighton v Crystal Palace
Sun: Chelsea v Liverpool
Sun: Man Utd v Leeds