The announcement that the whole football world was waiting for finally came this week, as it was revealed that the Premier League would be returning. The clubs voted unanimously for the season to restart, with all 92 fixtures set to be televised. Action in the Premier League will return on the 17th June, with the two outstanding fixtures played to ensure that all teams in the division have played 29 games.
The two fixtures to take place on that Wednesday evening have been announced, as Manchester City will face Arsenal, and Aston Villa will take on Sheffield United. Which game will take place first has not yet been announced, but one of the games will start at 6 pm UK time, and the other at 8 pm.
First Round Of Fixtures & Kick Off Times
The first full weekend back for the Premier League will take place over the weekend of the 19th June. Fans will be delighted to hear that the kickoff times allow fans to watch every single fixture across the weekends, with all games starting at different start times. Games on Saturday will take place at 12:30, 3 pm, 5:30 pm and 8 pm. Meanwhile, fixtures on the Sunday will kick off at midday, 2 pm, 4:30 pm and 7 pm. There will also be fixtures taking place on Friday and Monday evenings, with these games kicking off at 8 pm.
It has not yet been confirmed which games will take place across the restart weekend, but if it follows the trend of the Bundesliga, then the fixtures will pick up from the first game that was next on the sides’ fixtures lists. That could mean fans will see the Merseyside derby on the first weekend back, while Manchester United will also come up against their former manager Jose Mourinho and his Tottenham Hotspur side.
It hasn’t been announced yet whether these fixtures will be taking place at their respective home grounds, with some reports indicating that Liverpool could play their remaining fixtures away from Anfield. Also on that first weekend back, Chelsea face Aston Villa and Manchester City host Burnley. The remaining fixtures from the opening weekend are:
- Bournemouth vs Crystal Palace
- Brighton & Hove Albion vs Arsenal
- Newcastle United vs Sheffield United
- Norwich vs Southampton
- Watford vs Leicester City
- West Ham United vs Wolverhampton Wanderers
What Is Still To Play For In The Premier League?
There is still a lot to play for in the Premier League this season. However, one of those things is not the Premier League title. It would seem that it is a matter of time before Liverpool are crowned champions, and they could do that against Everton should Manchester City lose against Arsenal or Burnley. The race for the Champions League places is also tense, with Manchester United hoping that the break could give them an advantage over Chelsea.
Sheffield United, Wolves, Tottenham and Arsenal are also in the mix for a place in the top five. Fifth place could be enough for teams to secure Champions League football as Manchester City still have their two-year European ban hanging over them. Chelsea and Leicester City remain the favourites with BetXChange, as they are valued at 0.65 and 0.14 respectively.
Relegation is also another big issue that is yet to be decided. Norwich City have an awful lot of work to do if they are to stay in the division, but Aston Villa and Bournemouth have a fighting chance. The Cherries are level on points with 17th placed Watford, while Villa are a point further back. West Ham United and Brighton will also face the challenge of avoiding relegation. The teams in the bottom three at present are favourites for the drop with BetXChange.
