The premier league makes its most anticipated return on Wednesday after more than 100 days in lockdown, with Arsenal’s clash against Manchester city taking center stage at the start of the frantic dash to finish the season.
With the coronavirus restrictions still in place means that the matches will be played with no spectators at the stands, but the football lovers will be able to feast on 92 televised matches crammed into six weeks.
Liverpool could be just a few days away from winning its first English top-flight title for 30 years. It holds a 25-point lead at the table, and there are chances that it could be crowned champions as early as Sunday when Liverpool faces Everton if Manchester City loses to Arsenal.
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On Wednesday, the relegation-threatened Aston Villa gets the ball rolling when they host Sheffield United. In the memory of those who died because of the coronavirus, the matches will be preceded by a minute’s silence. According to the data compiled by john Hopkins University, the pandemic outbreak has claimed nearly 41,000 lives in Britain.
The coronavirus has touched three of four managers to lead their teams on Wednesday. Manchester City’s manager Pep Guardiola lost his mother, while Aston Villa boss Dean Smith’s father died.
Mikel Arteta, Guardiola’s former assistant, returns to Etihad for the first time as the manager of Arsenal hastened the season shut down three months after he tested positive of coronavirus.
Meanwhile, for the first 12 matches, all the players will wear Black Lives Matter (BLM) at the backs of their shirts, where usually the names are printed to support the global movement against racial injustice following the death of George Floyd in American police custody.
Along with badge thanking Britain’s health workers, the BLM logo will feature on the shirts for the remainder of the season. If the players choose to take a knee during or before the matches, they will be supported.
For each match, nearly 300 people will be allowed in the stadium, with rigorous health protocols in place, the officials said. There will also be widespread disinfection of changing rooms, goal posts, match balls, substitution boards, and dugouts. All the people except coaching staff and players must wear facemasks. Players have also been told to maintain distance while celebrating goals.
