The English top-flight is temporarily shutting down following a hectic festive period
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The 2021-22 Premier League festive period proved to be one of the most hectic in recent memory as the Covid-19 strain Omicron swept through English football, causing a number of postponements and forcing clubs to shut their training grounds.
Managers have had to stretch their squads to the limit to cope, but there is some reprieve this weekend as there are no fixtures scheduled to play.
So why is there no Premier League football this weekend? GOAL is here to bring you everything you need to know including which games from other competitions across the globe will be on TV, if you need your football fix.
Why is there no Premier League football this weekend?
There is no Premier League football this weekend due to the start of the winter break, which was first introduced in the 2019-20 season.
The break, which had to be scrapped last season as the schedule was shortened due to the coronavirus pandemic, is designed to protect players from burnout and reduce the risk of injuries.
The winter hiatus officially began on January 24 , with players now taking in a much-needed rest before next week’s international break.
When is Premier League football back?
A total of 22 matches have been postponed so far this term, but the Premier League have no plans to re-arrange any of the games to take place during the winter break.
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As it stands, Watford’s rescheduled clash with Burnley will be the next top-flight fixture to go ahead on February 5 , with it reported that a rule change is imminent that will require clubs to provide proof of four positive Covid-19 cases in order to request a postponement.
Premier League football will then resume on
February 8 with Everton vs Newcastle, Burnley vs Man Utd and West Ham vs Watford.
Most other top-flight clubs will be back in action on the weekend of February 12, except for Chelsea, who won’t return to domestic duty until the following week, after their trip to the United Arab Emirates for the FIFA Club World Cup.
Which football games are on this weekend & how to watch them on TV?
Supporters may not be able to get their full fix of Premier League football this weekend, but there will still be plenty of other matches at both club and international level to enjoy.
The English Football League has a full schedule of fixtures to take place across Saturday and Sunday, while action from the Scottish Premiership and leagues 1 and 2 will also continue.
Peterborough United vs Sheffield United and Ross County vs Rangers will both be available to watch via Sky Sports on Saturday, while Sunday’s televised fixtures on the same platform will see Derby County take on Birmingham City and Cardiff City host Nottingham Forest.
Sky Sports are also providing coverage of the Afcon quarter-finals, with Gambia vs Cameroon and Burkina Faso vs Tunisia on Saturday, while Senegal and Morocco are both set to be in action on Sunday.
Date Game Kick-off time (UK) TV channel
Jan 28 Chile vs Argentina 00:15am Premier S 1
Jan 28
Western Sydney Wanderers Women vs Adelaide United Women
8:45am BT Sport
Jan 28
Huddersfield Town vs Stoke City 7:45pm
Sky Sport Main Event Sky Sport Football
Jan 28
Ballymena United vs Cliftonville 7:45pm BBC iPlay
Jan 28
Morton vs Raith Rovers 7:45pm BBC Scotland BBC iPlay
Jan 28
Bala Town vs Newtown 7:45pm S4C Online
Jan 28 Nantes vs Brest 8pm Mola TV
Jan 28 Colombia vs Peru 9pm FreeSport
Jan 28
Venezuela vs Bolivia 10pm Premier S 1
Jan 29
Brisbane Roar Women vs Melbourne City Women
6:05am BT Sport
Jan 29
Melbourne Victory vs Wellington Phoenix
6:35am BT Sport
Jan 29
Brisbane Roar vs Western Sydney Wanderers
8:45am BT Sport
Jan 29
Western United vs Melbourne City 8:45am BT Sport
Jan 29
Ross County vs Rangers 12:30pm
Sky Sport Main Event Sky Sport Football
Jan 29
Gambia vs Cameroon 4pm BBC Two BBC iPlay
Jan 29
Eastleigh vs Chesterfield 5:20pm BT Sport
Jan 29
Peterborough United vs Sheffield United
5:30pm
Sky Sport Main Event Sky Sport Football
Jan 29 Reims vs Bastia 5:30pm Mola TV
Jan 29
Burkina Faso vs Tunisia 7pm
Sky Sport Premier League
Jan 29
Marseille vs Montpellier 8pm Mola TV
Jan 30
Sydney vs Central Coast Mariners 5:05am BT Sport
Jan 30
Newcastle Jets Women vs Canberra United Women
5:05am BT Sport
Jan 30
Newcastle Jets vs Adelaide United 7:45am BT Sport
Jan 30
Union Saint-Gilloise vs Anderlecht 12:30pm Mola TV
Jan 30
Arsenal Women vs London City Lionesses
12:30pm
FA Player BBC Red Button / B iPlayer
Jan 30
Derby County vs Birmingham City 1:30pm
Sky Sport Main Event Sky Sport Football
Jan 30
KAA Gent vs Antwerp 3pm Mola TV
Jan 30
Ivory Coast / Egypt vs Morocco 4pm
Sky Sport Premier League
Jan 30
Cardiff City vs Nottingham Forest 4pm
Sky Sport Main Event Sky Sport Football
Jan 30
Bergerac vs St-Etienne 5:30pm Mola TV
Jan 30
Senegal vs Mali / Equatorial Guinea 7pm BBC Two Sports Fo
Jan 30 Lens vs Monaco 8pm Mola TV
Jan 30
Kortrijk vs Club Brugge 8pm Mola TV
Jan 30 Porto vs Maritimo 8:30pm BT Sport
