One match: Premier League schedule shrinks to a single Sunday game

Bucks County fans tuning in to English football will watch just one Premier League match on Sunday, November 1. The single fixture pits Liverpool against Arsenal at Anfield, with a 4:30 p.m. kickoff. The matchup is critical for Arsenal, which needs only a draw to move to the top of the league standings.

The lack of games is unusual for a Sunday during the season. This is the second time since May 2024 that the Premier League schedule has featured only one match on a Sunday. The quiet day follows a busy Saturday, which featured eight matches, and precedes a Monday night game where Newcastle hosts Everton.

The schedule change stems from a conflict between domestic and European competitions. The Premier League originally scheduled two games for Sunday, November 1. One was Liverpool versus Arsenal. The other was Aston Villa versus Fulham, set for a 2:00 p.m. start.

The European schedule was released after the domestic calendar was set in August. The new schedule placed Aston Villa’s Champions League match against Barcelona on Tuesday, November 3. League rules generally prevent teams from playing two matches within 60 hours. Because the European game was scheduled for Tuesday, Villa could not play on Sunday without violating the rest requirement. If the European fixture had been set for Wednesday, the Sunday match would likely have remained.

Consequently, the Villa and Fulham game was moved to Saturday night. Villa Park hosted the 8:00 p.m. match. Nicolas Jackson scored for Aston Villa. Zion Suzuki recorded an own goal, resulting in a 1-1 draw. The results from the Saturday slate included a 2-0 victory for Chelsea over Manchester United, a 1-0 win for Brighton over Manchester City, and 2-0 wins for Bournemouth, Brentford, and Tottenham.

Both Liverpool and Arsenal have Champions League matches next week. Their fixtures are scheduled for Wednesday, providing sufficient rest after Sunday’s Premier League game. Liverpool travels to Turkey to face Fenerbahce at 5:45 p.m. Arsenal travels to the Czech Republic to play Sparta Prague. Manchester United also plays in the Champions League on Tuesday night against Roma, following their Saturday loss to Chelsea.