Newcastle United take on Tottenham Hotspur next month, and the date will remain the same after Sunday’s FA Cup quarter final at Old Trafford.
Manchester United beat Fulham to book their place in the final four, with the result also ensuring that Newcastle will definitely face Spurs on April 23rd.
The fixture was initially moved from Saturday to Sunday, with Sky Sports selecting to broadcast a crucial game in the race for the top four.
However, the Premier League stated that the game could still be moved back to Saturday – depending on how Manchester United did in the FA Cup and the Europa League.
Why Newcastle vs Tottenham was at risk of being rescheduled
With Tottenham crashing out of the FA Cup in the previous round to Sheffield United in embarrassing fashion, it meant that the game against Newcastle would definitely take place during the penultimate weekend of April. That is when the FA Cup semi finals are, with neither Eddie Howe or Antonio Conte’s side set to be involved.
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But Manchester United have also been a factor in this scheduling confusion.
They have made it through to the Europa League quarter finals, which means they will be in action on Thursday April 20th. As is the case with teams who play on a Thursday, they would then play on a Sunday – which would mean their Premier League fixture against Chelsea on the Saturday night would need to rearranged.
The Premier League stated in the event of Man United reaching the Europa League quarters and getting knocked out of the FA Cup, their game against Chelsea would replace Newcastle vs Spurs on the Sunday, with the Magpies instead taking the 5.30pm slot the day earlier.
Why Newcastle vs Tottenham is no longer moving
However, we now know that the fixture will not be moving after all. That is because Man United’s league game that weekend will now be postponed due to their involvement in the FA Cup semi final.
They beat Fulham to advance on Sunday afternoon, but they were almost knocked out. Aleksandar Mitrovic gave the Cottagers the lead at Old Trafford, but a moment of madness changed the game.
In the blink of an eye, Fulham were down to nine men. Willian was sent off for a handball on the line, while Mitrovic also saw red after he put his hands on the referee in protest against the decision. Manager Marco Silva was also given his marching orders.
It was a staggering turn of events, and it sparked the comeback from Manchester United. They went on to win 3-1, meaning they will face Brighton in the FA Cup semi finals on the penultimate weekend of April.
Their Premier League game against Chelsea will therefore be postponed, meaning Newcastle and Tottenham can remain at 2pm on April 23rd.