At the end of May I wrote about the all but certain Monday nightmare for Newcastle United.
Indeed, not just our club.
For the likes of Chelsea, Newcastle United and Tottenham, especially the fans of these clubs, there is a hidden blow to finding their teams not in Europe.
The Monday night curse.
There is a kind of rule, a supposed limit, that no Premier League clubs can be picked more than five times by Sky Sports for their live matches across Monday and Friday nights throughout the season.
Needless to say, this rule/limit doesn’t mean anything.
Last (2025/26) season Chelsea, Newcastle United and Tottenham were all playing in Europe, three of nine Premier League clubs who did so.
Those nine clubs who were in Europe last season, it largely shielded them from most Friday and Monday slots due to their midweek games in the Champions League etc.
So the Premier League clubs not in European competition and with the biggest fanbases absorb so many of the unpopular picks.
BBC Sport published a report on 30 March 2026 that showed how many times the various Premier League clubs had ended up selected for Friday and Monday night broadcasts. By that point Tottenham hadn’t been selected for any Friday or Monday night TV slots, whilst Chelsea had been chosen for one Friday night and no Monday night ones.
Newcastle United had been chosen for one of each, Liverpool at home on a Monday night and Man U away on a Friday. However, the Liverpool game at St James’ Park was a Monday night in August 2025 before the Champions League fixtures started, whilst the Old Trafford game was a one-off on Boxing Day night. Newcastle United ended up not playing any other Friday or Monday night matches in the Premier League for Sky Sports.
In that BBC Sport report on 30 March 2026 it was a very different case for certain other clubs, ones who weren’t in European competition but have the largest fanbases and/or seen as most glamorous by Sky Sports.
By 30 March 2026 the combined Friday night and Monday night Sky Sports selections showed by that point: Manchester United 8 (2 Friday and 6 Monday), Everton 7 (0 Friday and 7 Monday), West Ham 7 (3 Friday and 4 Monday), Leeds 6 (3 Friday and 3 Monday).
The 2026/27 season, it was pretty much inevitable that Sky Sports would be largely feasting on Newcastle United, Chelsea and Tottenham when it comes to making their selections for Friday night and Monday night football, especially once the European fixtures come around and nine other EPL clubs are involved in the three UEFA competitions.
The TV choices have been made for the first nine Premier League match weeks…
Friday 21 August Arsenal v Coventry
Monday 24 August – Fulham v Chelsea
Friday 28 August – Palace v Man City
Monday 31 August – Villa v Arsenal
Friday 4 September – Ipswich v Liverpool
Monday 14 September – Leeds v Newcastle
Friday 18 September – Brentford v Chelsea
Monday 12 October – Coventry v Newcastle
Monday 19 October – Tottenham v Coventry
Friday 23 October – Ipswich v Forest
Monday 2 November – Newcastle v Everton
Of six Monday night games announced so far, Newcastle United have already picked up three of them and two of those are away from home for our travelling fans!
Chelsea have picked up one on a Monday night and one on a Friday night, both away from home, BUT Craven Cottage is less than two miles away from Stamford Bridge and Brentford’s GTech Stadium only around five miles away!
Tottenham have got relatively lucky so far and that is a home one on a Monday night against Coventry.