Fixture chaos is a blueprint for shocks and dark horses

In the immediate aftermath of the Manchester derby, Pep Guardiola was dumbfounded.

- MIGUEL DELANEY

He wasn’t, for once amid recent form, the only one. It was a common sensation around the Premier League over the weekend, which seemed to reach new levels of chaos.

Even one of the dullest Manchester derbies in recent history ended up transforming into one of the most sensational, both for the late turnaround and its significance. There was even the drama of the brilliant Amad Diallo vindicating Ruben Amorim’s decision to drop Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho. Tottenham Hotspur went 3-0 up at Southampton within 14 minutes, which led to one of two managerial sackings on the same day. Both Liverpool and Arsenal slipped, while Nottingham Forest continued to defy expectations.

Whatever the fair criticisms of the competition’s many modern issues, the Premier League certainly gives.

The Premier League will also take, and potentially from those who most benefited over the last few days.

One of the reasons this kind of unpredictability is happening is because so many clubs are enduring the effects of the most intense ever football calendar, with players also struggling from increasing physical load over three years since the pandemic. And it’s about to get worse.