The Premier League is back! - complete guide to its resumption
The wait is finally over.
The Premier league is restarting tonight with two intriguing games after it’s three-month suspension due to COVID-19.
As per Getty Images
How will it work?
Well as with the Bundesliga and La liga who have both returned to action already, all games will be played behind closed doors.
Leading up to the restart there has been weekly testing for all clubs’ players and staff, with over 7000 tests seeing just 14 positive results.
The signs are positive.
Regular testing will continue when the league restarts and as with other leagues, any players who test positive will have to self-isolate for two weeks away from the rest of the team.
There will be games most days as teams play a weekend game and a midweek game with the goal to fast track the end of the season.
The aim as with all the other European leagues returning, is to finish the league before a potential Champions League and Europa League restart in August.
How can I watch it?
Every Premier League game from now until the end of the season will be shown live on TV, divided between Sky Sports, BT Sport, Amazon Prime and for the first time in Premier League history, the BBC.
Amazon are broadcasting their games for free and Sky are broadcasting 25 of their games on a free to watch channel; Terrestrial TV.
The vast majority of games have been given to Sky Sports and BT Sport, with BBC and Amazon getting 4 games each.
Additionally, the long-term 3pm blackout has been removed so there aren’t any games which can’t be shown.
With fans not being able to travel to stadiums, this news will have been welcomed and it gives fans an opportunity to watch their team play on TV more frequently than in the past.
Fans will also be given the opportunity on Sky Sports to turn on a fake crowd as Sky are using artificial crowd noise from FIFA.
This means that home teams will chant their own songs and anthems, just like you would see at a normal game.
What is there still to play for?
The title will be going to Liverpool unless they completely capitulate but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing to play for.
Top four is still very much in the balance as is the relegation battle and with 9 games still to play for most teams, there is still time for major changes.
There are also several clubs who still have a chance of making it into the Europa League, with Spurs, Arsenal and Everton all on the fringes of the top 7.
Moreover, Manchester City are awaiting an extremely important court verdict after they appealed their two year European ban.
If the ban is upheld, then it could be the end of an era for Manchester City who have won two Premier League titles in Pep Guardiola’s four seasons at the helm.
However, it frees up fifth place for a Champions League spot which would give a big opportunity to Manchester United, Sheffield United and Wolves and gives more hope to the rest of the chasing pack.
If they do win the appeal then barring a por end to the season, Manchester City will finish in second place, ahead of third placed Leicester.
Chelsea’s place in the top four is less secure as they are just three points ahead of Manchester United and if Sheffield United win later today in their game in hand, then they will be two points off Chelsea themselves.
Therefore, the top four is still very much up for grabs in a season where the traditional top six (minus Liverpool) have been incredibly inconsistent.
For Manchester United and Chelsea this can be partly put down to the amount of faith they have put in youth.
As per ManUtd.com/Getty Images
As for the title, Liverpool could clinch it as soon as this weekend when they face Everton at Goodison Park.
That will only happen if Manchester City lose to Arsenal this evening and Liverpool get the three points away to Everton.
If Manchester City do beat Arsenal, then Liverpool can clinch the title by winning their next two games and can lift their first Premier League trophy at Anfield when they host Crystal Palace next week.
As for the relegation battle, realistically there are 6 teams whose safety is still uncertain.
Norwich are bottom of the league, six points away from survival and face an uphill battle to stay up.
Four points above them, and two points away from 18th placed Bournemouth, 17th placed Watford and 16th placed West Ham is Aston Villa, who like Norwich have struggled to cope with the big jump up from the Championship.
It has been Bournemouth’s weakest season since their promotion to the Premier League in 2015.
Their first season in the top flight was the closest other time Eddie Howe’s men have come to going down, as they finished 16th.
They have struggled without David Brooks who proved to be a brilliant signing for the Cherries with his performances last season.
He has been injured all of this campaign but the pause in play has given him the time to recover and he could be a massive boost in Bournemouth’s fight for survival.
As for Watford and West Ham, who sit above the drop simply down to goal difference, they’ve both had turbulent and underwhelming seasons for clubs of their stature.
It’s especially disappointing from Watford who looked a team on the rise last season, as they finished 11th in the league, in a season that also saw them reach the FA Cup Final.
West Ham also looked to be moving in a positive direction under Pellegrini last campaign as they put together a strong second half of the season to finish 10th.
The final team who still have a lot of work to do to secure their safety is Brighton, who are just two points above 18th placed Bournemouth.
Despite having played some good football under new manager Graham Potter, they have struggled to find a consistent goal scorer and find themselves in a dangerous situation.
The Premier League is here, it will be different to how we know it but with so much still to play for, there is no reason to suggest it will be any less dramatic.
Upcoming Fixtures
As per Getty Images
Wednesday 17th June 2020
Aston Villa vs Sheffield United
Kick Off: 18:00 GMT
Venue: Villa Park, Birmingham
Broadcaster: Sky Sports
Manchester City vs Arsenal
Kick Off: 20:15 GMT
Venue: Etihad Stadium, Manchester
Broadcaster: Sky Sports
Friday 19th June 2020
Norwich vs Southampton
Kick Off: 18:00 GMT
Venue: Carrow Road, Norwich
Broadcaster: Sky Sports
Tottenham Hotspur vs Manchester United
Kick Off: 20:15 GMT
Venue: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London
Broadcaster: Sky Sports
Saturday 20th June 2020
Watford vs Leicester
Kick Off: 12:30 GMT
Venue: Vicarage Road, Watford
Broadcaster: BT Sport
Brighton vs Arsenal
Kick Off: 15:00 GMT
Venue: Amex Stadium, Falmer
Broadcaster: BT Sport
West Ham vs Wolves
Kick Off: 17:30 GMT
Venue: London Stadium, London
Broadcaster: Sky Sports
Bournemouth vs Crystal Palace
Kick Off: 19:45 GMT
Venue: Vitality Stadium, Bournemouth
Broadcaster: BBC Sport
Sunday 21st June 2020
Newcastle United vs Sheffield United
Kick Off: 14:00 GMT
Venue: St James’ Park, Newcastle
Broadcaster: Sky Sports
Aston Villa vs Chelsea
Kick Off: 16:15
Venue: Villa Park, Birmingham
Broadcaster: Sky Sports
Everton vs Liverpool
Kick Off: 19:00
Venue: Goodison Park, Liverpool
Broadcaster: Sky Sports
Monday 22nd June 2020
Manchester City vs Burnley
Kick Off: 20:00
Venue: Etihad Stadium, Manchester
Tuesday 23rd June 2020
Leicester City vs Brighton
Kick Off: 18:00 GMT
Venue: King Power Stadium, Leicester
Broadcaster: Sky Sports
Tottenham Hotspur vs West Ham
Kick Off: 20:15 GMT
Venue: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London
Broadcaster: Sky Sports
Wednesday 24th June 2020
Manchester United vs Sheffield United
Kick Off: 18:00 GMT
Venue: Old Trafford, Manchester
Broadcaster: Sky Sports
Newcastle United vs Aston Villa
Kick Off: 18:00 GMT
Venue: St James’ Park, Newcastle
Broadcaster: BT Sport
Norwich City vs Everton
Kick Off: 18:00
Venue: Carrow Road, Norwich
Broadcaster: BBC Sport
Wolves vs Bournemouth
Kick Off: 18:00
Venue: Molineux Stadium, Wolverhampton
Broadcaster: BT Sport
Liverpool vs Crystal Palace
Kick Off: 20:15 GMT
Venue: Anfield, Liverpool
Broadcaster: Sky Sports