Key dates and changes for 2020-21 campaign announced

The schedule for the upcoming 2020-21 season has begun to take shape with some alterations to league and cup competitions enforced by the coronavirus pandemic.

Following a three-month suspension from March to June due to COVID-19, the 2019-20 Premier League season did not conclude until July 26, meaning next term will start later than its usual early August beginning on the weekend of September 11-13.

Everton’s full Premier League fixture list for next season will be released no later than Friday, August 21.

The campaign is scheduled to finish on Sunday, May 23, 2021, three weeks before the European Championships begin.

The Premier League’s winter break, first introduced last February, has also been scrapped. Instead, a round of fixtures in January will be split over two consecutive midweeks, as well as a full matchweek on the weekend in-between.

There have also been changes to the two domestic cup competitions Everton will enter. Next season’s FA Cup will not involve replays, while the Carabao Cup’s semi-finals will become one-legged affairs to ease congestion on an already full calendar.

The two Carabao Cup semi-finals will not be held at neutral venues, though; instead, the club drawn out first for each tie will have home advantage.

It is still hoped that fans will begin to re-enter stadia by the beginning of October, by which time Everton may have contested three Carabao Cup clashes and at least as many Premier League matches.

2020-21 - Everton key dates

August 2020

Fri 14 - Players and staff return for COVID-19 testing

Sun 16 - Staggered return to pre-season training begins

Fri 21 - Likely release date of 2020-21 Premier League fixtures

September 2020

Sat 12 - Premier League Matchweek 1

Tue 15 / Wed 16 - Carabao Cup Round 2

Sat 19 - Premier League Matchweek 2

Tue 22 / Wed 23 - Carabao Cup Round 3

Sat 26 - Premier League Matchweek 3

Tue 29 / Wed 30 - Carabao Cup Round 4

October 2020

Sat 3 - Premier League Matchweek 4

Mon 5 - Summer transfer window closes

Sat 17 - Premier League Matchweek 5

Sat 24 - Premier League Matchweek 6

Sat 31 - Premier League Matchweek 7

November 2020

Sat 7 - Premier League Matchweek 8

Sat 21 - Premier League Matchweek 9

Sat 28 - Premier League Matchweek 10

December 2020

Sat 5 - Premier League Matchweek 11

Sat 12 - Premier League Matchweek 12

Tues 15 / Wed 16 - Premier League Matchweek 13

Sat 19 - Premier League Matchweek 14

Tues 22 / Wed 23 - Carabao Cup Quarter-Finals

Sat 26 - Premier League Matchweek 15

Mon 28 - Premier League Matchweek 16

January 2021

Sat 2 - Premier League Matchweek 17

Tues 5 / Wed 6 - Carabao Cup Semi-Finals

Sat 9 - FA Cup Third Round

Tues 12 / Wed 13 - Premier League Matchweek 18a

Sat 16 - Premier League Matchweek 19

Tues 19 / Wed 20 - Premier League Matchweek 18a

Sat 23 - Premier League Matchweek 20 / FA Cup Fourth Round

Sat 30 - Premier League Matchweek 21

February 2021

Tues 2 / Wed 3 - Premier League Matchweek 22

Sat 6 - Premier League Matchweek 23

Tues 9 / Wed 10 - FA Cup Fifth Round

Sat 13 - Premier League Matchweek 24

Sat 20 - Premier League Matchweek 25

Sat 27 - Premier League Matchweek 26

Sun 28 - Carabao Cup Final

March 2021

Sat 6 - Premier League Matchweek 27

Sat 13 - Premier League Matchweek 28

Sat 20 - Premier League Matchweek 29 / FA Cup Quarter-Finals

April 2021

Sat 3 - Premier League Matchweek 30

Sat 10 - Premier League Matchweek 31

Sat 17 - Premier League Matchweek 32 / FA Cup Semi-Finals

Sat 24 - Premier League Matchweek 33

May 2021

Sat 1 - Premier League Matchweek 34

Sat 8 - Premier League Matchweek 35

Tues 11 / Wed 12 - Premier League Matchweek 36

Sat 15 - Premier League Matchweek 37 / FA Cup Final

Sun 23 - Premier League Matchweek 38