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Premier League to return on June 17

Another meeting between clubs today saw an agreement finally reached

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The Everton Club Badge and Premier League Match Ball
The Premier League has been out of action since March 9 due to the coronavirus pandemic
Photo by Visionhaus

Premier League clubs have agreed to resume the 2019-20 campaign in three weeks’ time, subject to government approval, as Project Restart takes another step forward.

As initially revealed by the Telegraph, the first matches will take place on Wednesday, June 17, as the two ‘games in hand’, Manchester City vs Arsenal and Aston Villa vs Sheffield United, are fulfilled.

The league’s other 16 teams will continue their campaigns behind closed doors over the weekend of June 19-21, with the BBC reporting that the aim is to have completed the outstanding 92 fixtures by July 25.

Each game is also set to be allocated a live television slot.

2019-20 Premier League remaining fixtures - kick off times (BST):

Friday: 2000

Saturday: 1230, 1500, 1730, 2000

Sunday: 1200, 1400, 1630, 1900

Monday: 2000

Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday: 1800, 2000

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, English football at all levels has been suspended since March 13. Premier League clubs returned to training last week, initially in small groups with no contact between players, though the second phase of the return, involving contact training, was approved unanimously on Wednesday and started today.

The third phase will include a step closer to ‘normal’ training, and further build-up to the return of competitive matches. The league’s twice-weekly testing procedures will continue, following 12 positive results returned from 2,752 tests so far. Any player diagnosed with the coronavirus must then self-isolate for seven days.

Should events go as planned, it is likely that this season’s Goodison Park Merseyside derby will mark Everton’s first game back in action since the resumption. If certain Manchester City results go Liverpool’s way before then, it could give Jurgen Klopp’s men the chance to clinch the title by beating their near neighbours.

As yet, though, definitive fixture dates have yet to be confirmed by the Premier League, nor is it known whether some or all games will be played at neutral venues.

It has been suggested that neutral venues will be used at the request of the police for particularly high-profile games, namely the Merseyside derby.

Premier League return - likely opening fixtures

JUNE 17

  • Manchester City vs Arsenal
  • Aston Villa vs Sheffield United

JUNE 19/20/21

Everton - remaining 2019-20 fixtures

  • Liverpool (H)
  • Norwich City (A)
  • Leicester City (H)
  • Tottenham Hotspur (A)
  • Southampton (H)
  • Wolverhampton Wanderers (A)
  • Aston Villa (H)
  • Sheffield United (A)
  • Bournemouth (H)