We've mentioned the possibility of Arsenal and Chelsea entering a playoff for third if results line up the right way this weekend (specifically, Arsenal beat Newcastle by one goal while scoring two more than Chelsea, who must draw at home to Everton), and the Premier League is taking it seriously enough to schedule the match, should it come to pass. When and where would the 70th game of Chelsea's already too-long season be played?
Potential Arsenal-Chelsea 39th game - playoff for 3rd - would be at Villa Park on Sunday May 26. Tickets £20-£30. Kick off time TBC
— Rob Harris (@RobHarris) May 17, 2013
Oh. That's a day after the Blues play Manchester City in New York. While we might scoff at the idea of a post-season tour, pulling out at this stage will probably cost the club significantly, and it's difficult to see a way in which the club can juggle this. Which is their fault for having a stupid post-season tour in the first place, to be honest.
But more importantly, the choice of venue is more clear evidence that the FA doesn't give a [fun] about the fans. Wembley, Stamford Bridge and the Emirates would all be out for obvious reasons, but that doesn't mean that a playoff game between two London teams should be played in Birmingham. It's a level of idiocy that's not just bordering on the monstrously stupid but staging a full-fledged invasion.
Hopefully Chelsea can render this all irrelevant by beating Everton on Sunday. Let this season end. Please.