Just when you think your weekend plans are sorted, the Premier League fixture gods throw a spanner in the works. Typical.

Chelsea's highly-anticipated clash with Manchester United has been bumped from its original Friday night prime time slot on May 16th. The 8pm kick-off we'd all pencilled in? Yeah, that's gone now. And who do we have to thank for this scheduling headache? Tottenham bloody Hotspur.

Why Spurs are ruining everyone's Friday night

Turns out Ange Postecoglou's men have managed to get their fixture against Aston Villa moved to the exact same day. The original Sunday May 18 date wasn't ideal for Spurs, what with the Europa League final looming on Wednesday May 21. Can't blame them for wanting the extra recovery time, I suppose.

But still. Some of us had already arranged the takeaway and told our mates to come round.

The Amorim Factor

This was supposed to be a fascinating tactical battle between Chelsea and Ruben Amorim's evolving United side. I've been particularly keen to see how United's midfield setup handles Chelsea's press since teh disaster at Old Trafford earlier this season. Remember that game? Absolute carnage.

My brother-in-law (die-hard United fan) had already texted me "prepare for pain" ahead of this one. His confidence seems wildly misplaced given their form, but that's United fans for you.

So... when's it actually happening then?

That's the question on everyone's lips. As of right now, we're still waiting for confirmation of the new time slot. The Premier League scheduling department is probably having a meltdown trying to find a suitable alternative that doesn't clash with seventeen different broadcasting agreements.

Watch this space.

The ripple effect nobody asked for

It's not just the fans getting messed around here. Think about the players' preparation routines, the coaching staff's training schedules, travel arrangements... Back in 2019, I interviewed a Premier League physio who told me late fixture changes are absolute nightmares for recovery protocols. "Players' bodies are finely-tuned machines," he said. "Shifting a game by even 24 hours can throw everything off."

And don't get me started on the fans who've already booked trains or hotels.

This is still a developing story, with more details expected soon. I'll update when the new time is confirmed, assuming my editor doesn't make me cover the Women's FA Cup instead (which happened last month and I'm still not over it).