This weekend’s2022-23Premier LeagueMatchday 8 derbyclash betweenManchester United and Leedshas been postponed until a later date. It was originally scheduled to take place on Sunday, September 18, 2022, at Old Trafford in Manchester, but it hasbeen canceled, asofficiallyconfirmed.
With the death of the Queen on Thursday, all English soccer games were postponed over the last weekend out of respect. This weekend, Manchester United’s match against Leeds, Chelsea vs Liverpool, as well as Brighton’s clash against Crystal Palace, are the three Matchweek 8postponed, with the last one having been canceled in advance owing to a scheduled rail strike.
On the other hand,Spurs vsLeicester and Brentford vsArsenal, two more London-based Premier League fixtures, havebeen given the go-ahead despite initial concerns.Since London’s police force is already stretched thin due to the Queen’s funeral, it was expected that any further matches would be postponed.
Why was theManchester United vs Leedsmatch postponed?
13 Premier League matches were postponed after the death of Queen Elizabeth II in the United Kingdom. In honor of the Queen, the Premier League postponed all 10 games planned for Matchweek 7, including Manchester United andLeeds.
The game between Manchester United and Leeds was originally scheduled for September 18. To put it simply, it was impossible to participate in the game. On September 12, the Premier League officially postponed the derby because of a lack of police personnel for the Queen’s funeral on September 19.
The EPL released a statement on September 12 saying that Manchester United’s match against Leeds, originally scheduled on September 19, would be postponed so that police could adequately staff the funeral of the Queen. Because of the upcoming international break, the next time these two teams meet at home is going to be in the month of October.
New dates for the postponed matches were not announced until much later. The Premier League may have a difficult time rescheduling the 13 postponed matches, including the two remaining encounters between Manchester United and Leeds, due to the league’s already packed schedule.