Why are there no Premier League games this weekend? International breaks explained

It's fair to say the Premier League has lived up to its hype in the 2023/24 season so far.

The thrilling 4-4 draw between Chelsea and Manchester City on Sunday was a snapshot of what the league is all about: goals, drama, refereeing controversy and endless end-to-end action between two high-quality teams.

The previous weekend, Chelsea's chaotic 4-1 win over Tottenham was another must-watch Premier League match that provided no shortage of thrills and spills. There have been plenty of other examples.

But once again, the action must cease for a week, with The Sporting News explaining why, what happens for the next few days and when it will all return.

Why Premier League players are booked for taking their shirt off

The Premier League is taking a break for the weekend of November 18-19 due to a scheduled window for international fixtures.

For most players in England, it means swapping the Premier League for European Championship qualifiers with their countries, or 2026 World Cup qualifiers for those affiliated with nations around the world. The ones not involved in national teams will stay at home to train with their clubs.

That was some weekend of Premier League football ❤️ pic.twitter.com/bzwkNI2tCz

It's only away for one weekend, so the Premier League will return with a full fixture list on November 25. The games then come thick and fast through December and the festive period, as it traditional.

Here's how the next set of Premier League fixtures looks:

Premier League fixtures around Christmas: Games on Christmas Eve in 2023

This is the third international break of the season, with previous breaks for the weekends of September 9-10, plus October 14-15.

The good news for club football fans is November's break is the final one