Why is the Premier League introducing a winter break and does it mean there won't be any matches?

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While England's Premier League may be the richest in the world, it has often been accused of lagging behind its European counterparts in some areas. VAR technology was made mandatory a season after most other leagues - as well as Uefa's lucrative Champpions League - had implemented it. For decades managers and players have complained about having to play too many matches in too short a time frame, particularly over the Christmas and New Year period. Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has been vocal in his concerns about the amount of games his players are forced to play, warning that the festive schedule was "killing" players. The Premier League's continental neighbours in the Bundesliga, La Liga, Ligue 1 and Serie A have always factored in a break to their schedule to allow players time off to enjoy the holidays with their families and loved ones. The Premier League have acted by introducing a break, which comes into effect next month. Why is the Premier League introducing a winter break? The winter break has been introduced to the Premier League to help reduce fixture congestion and to give players a rest. Arsenal have been one of the first clubs to take advantage of the break, announcing on Tuesday that the first-team squad will head to Dubai on February 7 for warm-weather training. Arsenal ✔ @Arsenal We're heading back with @emirates ✈️ See you soon, Dubai ?? First-team squad set for Dubai training camp www.arsenal.com 6,491 12:39 PM - Jan 28, 2020 Twitter Ads info and privacy 769 people are talking about this When does it start? The 2019/20 Premier League winter break takes place in February 2020. It will work by splitting one game week across two weekends. Two games will be played on Saturday, February 8 with another two the following day. READ MORE Jack Wilshere earns how much! West Ham's highest paid players - in pictures Here's how much Liverpool's players earn - in pictures Think Teemu Pukki is Norwich City's top earner? Think again One match takes place on Friday, February 14 and another two on Saturday, February 15. There are two games slated for Sunday, February 16 before Chelsea v Manchester United wrap things up on the Monday. Fixtures Saturday, February 8 (all times UAE) Everton v Crystal Palace, 4.30pm Brighton v Watford, 9.30pm Sunday, February 9 Sheffield United v Bournemouth, 6pm Manchester City v West Ham, 8.30pm Friday, February 14 Wolves v Leicester, midnight (Saturday) Saturday, February 15 Southampton v Burnley, 4.30pm Norwich City v Liverpool, 9.30pm Sunday, February 16 Aston Villa v Tottenham, 6pm Arsenal v Newcastle, 8.30pm Monday, February 17 Chelsea v Manchester United, midnight (Tuesday) It's not really a winter break, is it? Not in the traditional sense, no. The Premier League has refrained from using the term. Instead, league officials have described it as a "mid-season player break".