Tradition among traditions in England, the “Boxing Day” will look gray this Sunday, December 26th. The “day of the boxes”, a holiday across the Channel and which usually graces the stands of all Premier League stadiums on Boxing Day, is not immune to a new wave of Covid-19 contamination which is breaking records un almost everywhere in Europe. Result: matches postponed, again and again, and an already well-stocked calendar which will continue to increase for the elite clubs in the near future …
⚽ A special Boxing Day 2021 between tradition, Covid-19 and the fight for the Top 4 #FirstLeague https://t.co/X5ibhdgbQn
– francetvsport (@francetvsport) December 26, 2021
December 9, 2021: Tottenham players affected, first wind of fear in the Kingdom
On December 9, when Spurs Tottenham were to host Stade Rennais for the last group G meeting in the Europa League Conference, eight players as well as five members of the London club’s staff tested positive. The match is postponed (then the victory on the green carpet of Rennes will be pronounced, editor’s note) while the fate of the match against Brighton in the league, scheduled for Sunday, December 12, is also quickly sealed and postponed until Greek calendars.
This first postponement to the Premier League marks the start of a sad series for the English league, which will quickly see most clubs grappling with a virus and its new variant – Omicron – without managing to stem its expansion.
Decimated staff, questions about vaccination … The Premier League in full doubt
Brentford-Manchester United, Burnley-Watford … Over the days, the health situation deteriorates and affects more and more meetings. It sometimes forces coaches to compose their squads according to the players still spared by the virus. This is particularly the case of Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea against Wolverhampton (0-0), with seven men who tested positive before the meeting including Romelu Lukaku, Timo Werner and Callum Hudson-Odoi. The German technician’s request to postpone the match was not heeded by the Premier League.
The Premier League is rife with COVID cases and 16% of the league has yet to receive a first shot. How did we get here, and will things get better? A + _ story by @MarkOgden_, @Marcotti, @LaurensJulien, @JamesOlley, @tomhamiltonespn and @RobDawsonESPN: https://t.co/Rk8d8rcmvh
– James Tyler (@JamesTylerESPN) December 24, 2021
Another debate has necessarily returned to the table: that of the vaccination of players. According to figures communicated at the beginning of the week by the English championship, 77% of them would be fully vaccinated (against 98% in Italy, 95% in France or 92% in Germany and Spain). But it is above all a data that commands attention: nearly 16% have not received the slightest dose of vaccine against Covid-19 since the start of the pandemic.
If some managers like Pep Guardiola (Manchester City) or Steven Gerrard (Aston Villa) are pushing their groups, others like Sean Dyche (Burnley) defend individual freedom.
A calendar to redraw
After the three matches postponed this Sunday (Burnley – Everton, Liverpool – Leeds, Wolverhampton – Watford), 12 matches have not been played since December 12. And maybe more in a few days … At the same time, no decision on the closed door in the stadiums or the gauges in the stands has been taken, unlike in Scotland or Wales.
Faced with this situation, the governing bodies of English football and the clubs are trying to discuss to arrange the best possible schedule. Not easy when, to paraphrase Spurs manager Antonio Conte, “you have a wall in front of you which makes all the decisions”. On the evening of Sunday, December 26, Tottenham will still be three games behind their North London rival Arsenal.
“The players take the Premier League to the highest level (…) I think you have to listen to them very carefully because nobody wants to damage what makes our league so incredible”
Mikel Arteta, Arsenal coachin press conference
So what should be done, especially since the upcoming holding of the African Cup of Nations (January 9 to February 6) will further restrict the possible options for Premier League coaches? For the moment, only a reduction of the semi-finals of the English League Cup to a single match – and no longer via a round-trip system – is envisaged. Like last season. For the rest, nothing more for the moment.
Maintained for primarily financial reasons rather than sporting, this series of end-of-year matches forgets an important factor: the players. Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson made his voice heard a few days ago, worried that “nobody takes well-being into account” of those in the field. A message relayed by Gunners coach Mikel Arteta: “The players take the Premier League to the highest level and when they start to say such things I think you have to listen to them very carefully because nobody wants to damage what makes our league so amazing.”