Bad weather forces postponement of EPL matches

MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Bad weather played havoc with the Premier League on Wednesday as two matches were called off because of stormy conditions in northwest England.

Manchester City's home match against Sunderland was the first to be postponed before Everton announced that its game against Crystal Palace at Goodison Park had been called off due to "building damage which has led to safety concerns."

The Met Office issued red warnings — the highest possible — for parts of Wales and the northwest, with gusts of 100 miles (160 kilometers) per hour expected on Wednesday evening. An amber warning, meaning possible severe gales, was also in place for the Manchester area.

City tweeted that the game was "postponed due to exceptional and escalating weather" and because the safety of fans "cannot be guaranteed."

City could have gone top of the standings with a victory — provided that Arsenal failed to beat Manchester United in their match in north London.

Everton's game was called off 35 minutes before kick-off because of the stormy weather. Several roads around Goodison Park had been closed due to the high winds.

No new dates have been set for the games.