Liverpool (led by Jurgen Klopp, centre) could win the Premier League in their first game back

The Premier League returns on Wednesday... but not exactly as we know it.

After a 100-day absence because of the coronavirus pandemic, Aston Villa v Sheffield United will kick off the English top-flight's resumption.

It is the first of 92 league games that will be packed into a frantic 40 days before the season concludes on 26 July.


Fixtures will be played behind closed doors as one of a host of measures to prevent any further cases of the virus.

A minute's silence to remember those who have died with coronavirus will be held before the first matches, while heart-shaped badges in tribute to frontline NHS staff will also be worn on kits.

For the first 12 matches of the restarted campaign, all player names on the back of shirts will be replaced by "Black Lives Matter".

This follows the death of George Floyd in the United States, which has sparked protests worldwide.

Over eight rounds of twice-weekly coronavirus screenings of Premier League players and staff, there have been 16 positive results from 8,687 tests.

All remaining 92 games will be broadcast live, with four matches to be shown on the BBC - the first to be made free-to-air on terrestrial television since the Premier League's inception in 1992.

Liverpool sit 25 points clear at the top of the table while Bournemouth, Aston Villa and Norwich City are in the relegation places.

The Reds, chasing a first league title in 30 years, could clinch it with victory in their first game back should second-placed Manchester City lose to Arsenal on Wednesday.


With the number of new infections falling and lockdown restrictions in England being gradually eased, the Premier League agreed it was safe to resume with the correct safety measures in place.

This was followed by the UK government giving the go-ahead for elite competitive sport to resume behind closed doors from 1 June.

Clubs unanimously voted to resume contact trainingin the final week of May, having started non-contact training the previous week as part of Project Restart.

Premier League players and staff will continue to be tested twice a week, with any players or staff who test positive self-isolating for a period of seven days.

The delaying of Euro 2020 by a year provided the Premier League with greater flexibility in which to fit in fixtures.

But there remains a time pressure imposed by issues with players' contracts, many of which run out on 30 June, and the scheduled start of the 2020-21 season in August.

There is also a financial incentive to resume playing, with the threat of an increased or restructured rebate to TV companies if fixtures are not completed.

The fixture list, including kick-off times, for the first 32 matches after the restart was announced on 5 June.

Aston Villa will face Sheffield United in the opening match at 18:00 BST on Wednesday, before Manchester City host Arsenal later the same evening.

The first full round of fixtures will then be played over the weekend.


Where can you follow the games?

All remaining 92 Premier League games will be broadcast live on Sky Sports, BT Sport, BBC Sport or Amazon Prime.

The BBC will show Bournemouth v Crystal Palace on 20 June at 19:45 BST, followed by Norwich v Everton on 24 June at 18:00, and then two matches yet to be confirmed.

As well as the four live games, there will be additional Match of the Day highlights programmes.

Sky Sports will make 25 of the remaining top-flight matches free to air, including the Merseyside derby at 19:00 on 21 June. Amazon Prime's four matches will also be broadcast for free.


What Match of the Day looked like the last time BBC broadcast the top flight in 1988What new measures have been put in place?
All matches behind closed doors, with number of key people allowed inside the stadium limited to 300.

Stadiums divided into three zones - red (includes pitch and technical areas), amber (stands) and green (stand concourses) - with restrictions on who is allowed to enter each.

Teams able to make five substitutions, rather than three, in each match and able to name nine substitutes instead of the usual seven.

Staggered entry on to pitch for players and staff and no handshakes before kick-off. Deep cleaning of corner flags, goalposts, substitution boards and match balls before and after each fixture.

Extra disinfection, such as of the substitution board after it is used, likely during matches and at half-time.

Medical protocols stipulate how squads and coaching staff must travel to and from games, observing social distancing.

Post-match broadcast interviews will take place pitchside with press conferences conducted virtually.VAR will continue to be in operation.

How did we leave things?

Before the suspension of play in the Premier League, Liverpool were hurtling towards their first top-flight title in 30 years.

The league will restart with the Reds 25 points clear at the top and potentially one win away from confirming their triumph.

If Manchester City lose their game in hand - against Arsenal on Wednesday - Jurgen Klopp's side will seal the title with victory in the Merseyside derby at Everton on Sunday.

The race for a top-four spot is less of a formality.

City's two-year ban from European competition (appeal pending) means fifth place will be enough for a Champions League spot.

Liverpool, Leicester, Chelsea and Manchester United are currently occupying the qualification places, but the likes of Wolves, Sheffield United, Tottenham and Arsenal will all begin again with a place in Europe's top competition as their aim.

Down at the bottom, six clubs are seemingly battling it out to avoid the drop.

Bottom club Norwich are six points adrift on 21 points. Aston Villa and Bournemouth are the two clubs above them but are part of a group of five clubs, along with Watford, West Ham and Brighton, separated by just four points.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/53009593

Welcome Back PREMIER LEAGUE : THE BEST LEAGUE IN THE WORLD!!

Drabeey:
Lol
The mind games, thrills and distractions will start today.

That is the beauty of the game Dockie Oloye!
We miss the beautiful Game mehn!

DenreleDave:
Though I am a barca fan but I av always enjoyed premier league.. Never boring for once...

[/color] aswear you be winch

I just dey go Tru ur profile now and I saw this post... I close the page only to come back to the homepage to find the post on front page..

U be correct winch

We & us @ say we love you all Nairalanders..

Note: We don't argue with swine

Lol Denrele dearie.
We be winch for [color=#990000]JESUS O!

We love y'all too Great, sane, honest and hardworking Nairalanders.
God bless your hustle.
A better country is all we want.
Hugs and Kisses Y'all!
Leave dem swines alone bikos,
na dem sabi,
na dem dey fight demselves abeg!
We too busy for dem online trolling!


Football is Life Mehn!

opius:
Gunners for life... #COYG

Dat one sef dey!
Up Your Gunners o!

afiawoh:
Ynwa

CONGRATULATIONS CHAMPIONS ELECT!
Awon eyan Maynation!

maynation:
To all Liverpool fans all over the universe, 21st is our day.
We shall ride on Everton to our glory.
We are Mighty Reds.
Man City will lose actually.

Just win your league jejely after many decades now.
Why pray for someone not dragging with you to lose?
Sho Madam May!

bluefilm:
My own be say make all my tickets just dey enta.

U dey sell match tickets for England matches, like in Stamford bridge or Old Trafford
We are not understanding o!

ofiko123:
We are excited the premier league is back..

Osheey!

rowland545:
As much as I dislike this mana of a guy and his loving sugar daddy...but he's right premier league is d best league in d world....

And football is d next best thing after bread and akara.

U dislike people that do not even know if you exist in life?!
How do you sleep at night?!
Na double catastrophy be dat o.
God have mercy on you.
All of us @[color=#006600][/color] love you so much than you love yourself anyways!
Oya, Chop plenty kisses life too short for 'dislikation' abeg!

Lalalash:
How will the make money without people buying tickets to watch the match

That is business for you.
You win some, you lose some.
They have been raking in Billions for years.
This too shall pass!

SamAgu:
I can't wait for league start
Never work walk alone

It starts few hours from now.
Yipeeeee

Mehn I miss this...

Best league in the world.

Blues for life

Football is finally back

Ok

Hi phone

Though I am a barca fan but I av always enjoyed premier league.. Never boring for once...

aswear you be winch

I just dey go Tru ur profile now and I saw this post... I close the page only to come back to the homepage to find the post on front page..


U be correct winch


We & us @ say we love you all Nairalanders..


Note: We don't argue with swine

Na so!!!!!

I dey teh u ehn, i no go miss any match ooo.....even small clubs like assnal and Chelshit

Chai!!!! We don miss the GOAT of leagues I swear

The blues for life!!!

Hit the like button if u support Chelsea

To all Liverpool fans all over the universe, 21st is our day.
We shall ride on Everton to our glory.
We are Mighty Reds.
Man City will lose actually.

k @ now go to work

We

Lol

The mind games, thrills and distractions will start today.

Leave football viewing centers open

All we need to know is dat arsenal will be beaten tonight

we back bby. GGMU

nonsense league

none football watching geng

Cant wait for the first game.
Premier league still remain the best entertaining league in the world

Liverpool is a religion

This is lovely... A'mean, i cant wait...

The whole world is bored already...

#BackToBusiness...

#WeBuy and #WeSell :

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good...cant wait to start seeing our darling epl resuming this night but i fear it may be kinda boring without the fans and that crazy background noises we do here from those mad fans...just like la liga and even the u.c.l without fans it would be boring to watch less competitive match to an extent and thats why we are seeing so many free to air matches for supersport and even b.b.c because t.v broadcast right would surely drop...from a real bet9ja fan, i cant wait to see the surprises from each matchday fixture twice on a week..Liverpool av thier league title already, city are safe and pep would see the re start as preseason, he wud rest players and get new tactics eyeing the u.c.l next month but for teams like Chelsea, man.u, liechester, spurs, arsernal, wolves and shielfied utd, the real epl jus began n we expect many suprises and shockers from small guns and i see a small team lyk wolves making dt top4 because going by results in Germany n spain, away teams now have more chances of winning matches, mayb because of the break or because of the fans....mancity vs arsernal lets get d party started..

Yes

The super distractions Is back

All i can say is #JusticeForArsenal
because they're going to be raped today