Why There Are No Premier League Matches on May 17 This Season
Hey football fans, have you noticed something strange about the Premier League schedule this weekend? If you were planning your Saturday around watching your favorite Premier League team, you’re in for a surprise—because there are no EPL matches scheduled for Saturday, May 17. Let me explain what’s going on.
This weekend marks a unique and intentional break in the Premier League calendar. There’s no scheduling mishap, and the league isn’t taking a random pause. Instead, it’s all part of a new six-year agreement between the Premier League and the Football Association that reshapes the timing of the FA Cup final.
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Under this deal, the FA Cup final—traditionally played after the end of the Premier League season—has now been moved to the penultimate weekend of the campaign. That’s right, this change means the final now lands right in the middle of the league’s run-in. The 2024/25 final between Manchester City and Crystal Palace will kick off at 4:30 p.m. London time on Saturday, May 17, and the terms of the agreement give the FA exclusivity for that entire day. In other words, the FA Cup takes center stage—no Premier League games allowed to compete with it.
So if you're wondering why City and Palace aren’t playing league fixtures this weekend, now you know. In fact, their EPL matches—City vs. Bournemouth and Palace vs. Wolves—have been pushed to Tuesday, May 20.
Other adjustments were made too. Tottenham and Manchester United, both Europa League finalists, had their games moved up to Friday, May 16 to give them time to prep for the big final in Bilbao on May 21. So, on Friday, we saw Spurs clash with Aston Villa and United face Chelsea—matches that could shake up the race for Europe even if the teams themselves aren’t in contention for a top spot.
As for Sunday and Monday, five Premier League games will be played, including Arsenal vs. Newcastle and Brighton vs. newly-crowned champions Liverpool. It’s a packed final stretch, but Saturday belongs to the FA Cup—and rightly so.
This scheduling shake-up is designed to elevate the importance of the FA Cup, giving it a standalone slot in the calendar, similar to how major cup finals are treated in other European leagues. And beyond just the matchday experience, this arrangement helps channel more funds into grassroots football in England—£133 million per year, to be exact. That’s a big win for the sport overall.
So while it might feel strange not seeing any EPL action on a Saturday in May, it’s all part of a bigger plan to enhance both the prestige of the FA Cup and the sustainability of English football from top to bottom. Settle in for a great cup final—and don’t worry, there’s still plenty of Premier League drama to come before the curtain closes.
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