Premier League confirms 2020-21 season to kick off September 12

The 2019-20 Premier League season ends on Sunday. Now, we also know when the 2020-21 season will begin. The Premier League announced on its website and social media that the new season will kick off on September 12, 2020 and run through the 23rd of May, a slightly compressed season compared to most years, but with the goal of returning to “normalcy” by the end of the campaign.

That gives many clubs, including Tottenham Hotspur, seven weeks of downtime to rest and recuperate a bit before starting a new season. However, it won’t affect all clubs equally, as there will still be the FA Cup final, Champions League tournament, and for European interationals, Nations League matches that will take place before the start of the new season.

It’s not immediately clear what “consult with the FA and EFL regarding scheduling of domestic competitions” means in this context. Clearly the league schedules haven’t been generated yet, but it’s going to be another season where there are lots of competitions, with less time to squeeze them all in. Perhaps this means an abbreviated version of, or the outright cancelation of, the League Cup this year, something that has been mooted in several circles and could help alleviate pressure on clubs and players. It could also simply mean that everything will take place as “normal,” and clubs will have to deal with it.

One more wrinkle — Spurs may also have to squeeze in Europa League qualifiers if they finish in seventh place and Arsenal lose the FA Cup to Chelsea. Those qualifiers normally happen at the end of July or early August, but who knows when they’d take place this season. They may or may not be an issue depending on what happens Sunday, but it’s something to keep an eye on.

Keep your calendars open, because things are gonna be weird.