Arsenal's home match against Stoke and Liverpool’s meeting with Fulham at Anfield was among the four matches that fell victim to the big freeze.

With Birmingham-Newcastle and Wigan-Aston Villa also postponed, only Sunderland's meeting with Bolton and Blackburn's match against West Ham were due to go ahead on Saturday.

In north London, Arsenal said three inches (seven centimeters) of snow fell over the Emirates Stadium before the referee called off the match and the north London club said there appeared to be “no apparent let up.” There was also a huge deluge in Liverpool, with the club saying that “the conditions around the stadium and for people traveling to the match” made it too dangerous to allow the Anfield match to go ahead.

Liverpool and Wigan said their pitches would have been playable.

Wigan said 10 inches (25 centimeters) of snow fell overnight in the town, meaning “public transport isn't running, there are motorway closures and the general condition of the surrounding routes is treacherous.”

Birmingham cited “health and safety grounds” for the decision to call off its home match against Newcastle, saying that roads around the stadium were unsafe.