It’s all to play for in the Premier League with some crucial fixtures up ahead, while European football also starts back up again in February as the Champions League and Europa League return to our screens
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Premier League action takes a short sabbatical this weekend to give non-European sides an opportunity to catch up on World Cup qualifiers.
It’s now long, however, before it is back with a bang.
A near-full midweek schedule will be broadcast exclusively live on BT Sport with all 18 Premier League teams in action across three days between February 8-10.
One week later, the action continues on BT Sport with the return of the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Europa League.
Last year’s beaten finalists Manchester City are the first English club in action. They take on Sporting Lisbon in Portugal on February 15. A day later, 2019 winners Liverpool travel to Italy to face Inter Milan.
The following week, tournament holders Chelsea host Lille, and then on February 23, Manchester United face Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid.
West Ham are now the only remaining English side left in the UEFA Europa League. They rejoin the competition at the Round of 16 stage.
Scottish champions Rangers, meanwhile, face the unenviable task of Erling Haaland and co when they play Borussia Dortmund.
Here Mirror Football brings you a run-down of the big fixtures coming up in February.
Champions League Televised Fixtures
- Feb 15 – PSG vs Real Madrid – 8pm – BT Sport 3
- Feb 15 – Sporting Lisbon vs Manchester City – 8pm – BT Sport 2
- Feb 16 – Inter Milan vs Liverpool – 8pm – BT Sport 2
- Feb 16 – RB Salzburg vs Bayern Munich – 8pm – BT Sport 3
- Feb 22 – Chelsea vs Lille – 8pm – BT Sport 2
- Feb 22 – Villareal vs Juventus – 8pm – BT Sport 3
- Feb 23 – Atletico Madrid vs Man Utd – 8pm – BT Sport 2
- Feb 23 – Benfica vs Ajax – 8pm – BT Sport 3
February also sees Chelsea compete in the Club World Cup, the continuation of the Emirates FA Cup, as well as the conclusion of this season’s Carabao Cup where Liverpool and Chelsea will fight it out at Wembley for the first silverware of the season on Sunday, February 27.
The FIFA Club World Cup will be broadcast live on the BBC. The Emirates FA Cup can be found across both the BBC and ITV.
Carabao Cup final
- Feb 27 – Chelsea vs Liverpool – 4:30pm – Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Football
FA Cup Televised Fixtures
- Feb 4 – Man Utd vs Middlesbrough – 8pm – ITV
- Feb 5 – Chelsea vs Plymouth Argyle – 12.30pm – BBC iPlayer / BBC Sport website
- Feb 5 – Kidderminster Harriers vs West Ham Utd – 12.30pm – BBC One
- Feb 5 – Tottenham Hotspur vs Brighton & Hove Albion – 8pm – ITV4
- Feb 6 – Liverpool vs Cardiff City – 12pm – ITV
- Feb 6 – Nottingham Forest vs Leicester City – 4pm – BBC One
- Feb 6 – AFC Bournemouth vs Boreham Wood – 6.30pm – ITV4
After the Fourth Round of the FA Cup is played out, the Premier League returns with the chase on at both ends of the table and everything still left to play for.
Liverpool look to be the only realistic candidate capable of catching current runaway leaders Manchester City.
Klopp’s men are nine adrift but do have a crucial game in hand on The Citizens. The Reds also travel to the Etihad in what may prove to be a crucial title-decider on April 9.
Thomas Tuchel and Chelsea’s chances of Premier League glory are also slim but not entirely dead in the water just yet.
Key Title Chase Televised Fixtures
- Feb 9 – Man City vs Brentford – 7.45pm – BT Sport
- Feb 10 – Liverpool vs Leicester City – 7.45pm – BT Sport
- Feb 12 – Norwich City vs Man City – 5.30pm – Sky Sports
- Feb 19 – Man City vs Tottenham Hotspur – 5.30pm – Sky Sports
Elsewhere, the race for the top four continues. Manchester United, Arsenal, and Tottenham are considered the favourites, but David Moyes’ West Ham and Bruno Lage’s Wolverhampton Wanderers also remain in contention.
Key Top 4 Race Televised Fixtures
- Feb 8 – West Ham Utd vs Watford – 7.45pm – BT Sport
- Feb 8 – Burnley vs Man United – 8pm – BT Sport
- Feb 9 – Tottenham vs Southampton – 7.45pm – BT Sport
- Feb 10 – Wolves vs Arsenal – 7.45pm – BT Sport
- Feb 13 – Leicester vs West Ham Utd – 4.30pm – Sky Sports
- Feb 19 – West Ham Utd vs Newcastle – 12.30pm – BT Sport
- Feb 19 – Man City vs Tottenham – 5.30pm – Sky Sports
- Feb 20 – Leeds Utd vs Man Utd – 2pm – Sky Sports
- Feb 20 – Wolves vs Leicester – 4.30pm – Sky Sports
- Feb 26 – Leeds Utd vs Tottenham – 12.30pm – BT Sport
At the foot of the table, Newcastle United are likely to be highly active in the last few days that remain of the January transfer window. The Magpies are now just one point away from safety and Eddie Howe’s men will be hoping to use the crucial victory over Leeds United as a platform between now and the rest of the season.
Dean Smith will be encouraged by Norwich City’s recent run of results, Watford will be hoping for (yet another) new manager bounce with ex-England boss Roy Hodgson now at the helm, while Sean Dyche’s Burnley have as many as four games in hand on some teams around them.
No side is likely to feel 100% safe until the threat of relegation is mathematically impossible. One side that can consider themselves in danger, however, are Everton whose fixture upcoming fixture at St James’ could prove significant. Leeds and Brentford are also still in jeopardy.
Key Relegation Scrap Fixtures
- Feb 5 – Burnley vs Watford – 6pm – BT Sport
- Feb 8 – West Ham Utd vs Watford – 7.45pm – BT Sport
- Feb 8 – Newcastle vs Everton – 7.45pm – BT Sport
- Feb 8 – Burnley vs Man Utd – 8pm – BT Sport
- Feb 9 – Norwich vs Southampton – 7.45pm – BT Sport
- Feb 9 – Man City vs Brentford – 7.45pm – BT Sport
- Feb 9 – Aston Villa vs Leeds Utd – 8pm – BT Sport
- Feb 12 – Norwich vs Man City – 5.30pm – Sky Sports
- Feb 20 – Leeds Utd vs Man Utd – 2pm – Sky Sports
- Feb 25 – Southampton vs Norwich – 8pm – Sky Sports
