Is the new EPL fixture schedule arranged to derail Arsenal’s title chances?

As the EPL title race enters its final stages, contending clubs are working on how to navigate several issues that could work against their ambitions of winning the title. Some of these issues could be how to manage existing injuries to key players and ensure they are fit on time for the remaining ties; or how to ensure that fit players do not sustain any avoidable injuries in the last two months of the season.

Also, managers are trying to fashion out ways of managing players for the remaining schedules by rotating them in order to keep them as fresh and fit as possible for the long haul.

However, beyond the managerial powers of clubs to manage and pave their own ways to success is the overriding powers of the TV cartel and the Premier League to schedule fixtures according to their own whims and caprices, sometimes without taking into consideration the health of players, fairness to all clubs and even the fact that clubs that represent England in European competitions should have their schedules fixed in ways that will not hamper their preparations and fitness leading to midweek European matches.

One would have thought that in rescheduling some fixtures, especially those involving title contenders, and even more importantly, in consideration of all and sundry, the FA would have worn the overall cloak of fairness by ensuring that no one club is given an undue advantage over the other. To do otherwise is to send a message of bias and conspiracy against certain clubs, even if that was not what was intended.

This is exactly what has happened to Arsenal in the recently rescheduled Premier League fixtures where it seems this action by PL officials has been deemed by a good number of unbiased football followers as possibly being out to derail Arsenal’s pursuit of Premiership glory in a season they are adjudged to have the brightest chances of becoming champions after such a long while.

The 15-day rest handed to our North London rivals, Tottenham Hotspurs while we play crunch matches against Aston Villa, Bayern Munich, Wolves and Chelsea within that period before facing a relaxed and refreshed Tottenham is the height of skewed schedules against us especially when there is the possibility of Tottenham also playing its yet-to-be rescheduled match against Manchester City within the same period but PL officials seem to have other ideas, with City also handed a supposedly easier fixture against Brighton.

With this stark reality, are there people disturbed by the immense progress Arsenal have made this season and are bent on ensuring that we do not win the Premier League? Only time will tell!