The English Premier League became the 3rd European elite league(after the Bundesliga and La Liga) to resume having gone on a hundred days hiatus, no thanks to the coronavirus outbreak in early March. As expected, the restart comes with a strict Modus Operandi as we've seen in the Bundesliga and La Liga.
With 10 rounds of matches left to be played, the Premier League has until July 26 to conclude 2019-20 league season, which leaves clubs with just about 40 frenetic days to slug it out. Clubs' depth will be tested as they play twice every week until the league ends.
As it were at the top of the table:
With the league all but secure by runaway leader Liverpool, all attention is on UEFA Champions League qualification. And with Manchester City look set to miss out due to ban, 7 clubs still lock horns for the 3 remaining spots, including 9th placed Arsenal whose chances now grow even thinner with the 3 nil defeat at Manchester City in the 2nd match of the day.
Like in the reverse fixture, the Gunners lost by 3 unreplied goals, Raheem Sterling(45'), K. De Bruyne(51') & Phil Foden(90') with the Citizens' goals. With difficult fixtures such as against Liverpool, Spurs & Leicester up ahead, Arsenal might just miss out on UEFA Champions League for the 4th successive season.
Bottom of the table:
Race to beat the drop is as fierce at the other end of the table, as 6 clubs look inseparable. 8 points separate the bottom of the log Norwich City from 15th place Brighton & Hove Albion. Amongst clubs fighting relegation is 19th place Aston Villa who played out a goalless draw with Sheffield United in the 1st of 2 matches played on resumption day.
It was barely 42 minutes into EPL restart and we already discussing controversy. Sheffield United seemed to have scored what looked like a legitimate goal when a goalmouth scramble ended with the ball over the goal line, however, the Hawk-eye goal-line tech inferred otherwise. A statement released after the match was that the cameras covering the goal area were occluded by the crowded players in such manner that has never occurred before in over 9000 matches the Hawk-eye had been in use. Did i hear someone say classic EPL?
The Next 40 days promise to be a frantic footballing action despite the absence of the ever echoing fans in stadia.
Thank you all.
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