The Premier League’s clubs have been presented with a provisional fixture list for the first three full match rounds of Project Restart, with the standout detail on the opening weekend being that Everton are set to face Liverpool on Sunday 21 June at 7pm – a game Sky plans to show on its Freeview channel.
If Manchester City were to lose to Arsenal on Wednesday 17 June on the reopening night when the games in hand from when the competition was shutdown in mid-March are played, then Liverpool could claim their first league title since 1990 with a victory in the derby.
It is hoped the game will be held at Goodison Park, rather than a neutral venue which had been suggested by the national police force, who are wrestling with various logistical issues. Merseyside police have indicated that they do have the capacity to help to stage it at Goodison. The city council’s safety advisory group will meet on Monday and it should be confirmed then whether the match will be at Goodison.
Planned early Premier League schedule and FA Cup quarter-finals
Wednesday 17 June
Aston Villa v Sheffield United 6pm Sky
Manchester City v Arsenal 8pm Sky
Friday 19 June
Norwich v Southampton 6pm Sky
Tottenham v Manchester United 8pm Sky
Saturday 20 June
Watford v Leicester 12.30pm BT
Brighton v Arsenal 3pm BT
West Ham v Wolves 5.30pm Sky
Bournemouth v Crystal Palace 7.45pm BBC
Sunday 21 June
Newcastle v Sheffield United 2pm Sky
Aston Villa v Chelsea 4.30pm Sky
Everton v Liverpool 7pm Sky
Monday 22 June
Manchester City v Burnley 8pm Sky
Tuesday 23 June
Southampton v Arsenal 6pm Sky
Tottenham v West Ham 8.15pm Sky
Wednesday 24 June
Manchester United v Sheffield United 6pm Sky
Newcastle v Aston Villa 6pm Sky
Norwich v Everton 6pm BBC
Liverpool v Crystal Palace 8.15pm Sky
Thursday 25 June
Burnley v Watford 6pm Sky
Leicester v Brighton 6pm Sky
Chelsea v Manchester City 8.15pm BT
Wolves v Bournemouth 8.15pm BT
Saturday 27 June
FA Cup: Sheffield United v Arsenal 5pm BT
FA Cup: Norwich v Manchester United 8.15pm BBC
Sunday 28 June
Aston Villa v Wolves 12pm BT
FA Cup: Leicester v Chelsea 2.30pm BT
Watford v Southampton 4.30pm Sky
FA Cup: Newcastle v Manchester City 6pm BT
Monday 29 June
Crystal Palace v Burnley 8pm Amazon
Tuesday 30 June
Brighton v Manchester United 6pm Sky
Sheffield United v Tottenham 8.15pm Sky
Wednesday 1 July
Bournemouth v Newcastle 6pm Sky
Everton v Leicester 6pm Sky
West Ham v Chelsea 8.15pm Sky
Thursday 2 July
Arsenal v Norwich 6pm BT
Manchester City v Liverpool 8.15pm Sky
Fixtures subject to change
Neutral venues were one of the discussion points at a broadly positive conference call between the league and the 20 clubs on Thursday. The issue has swung one way and then the other, with it appearing at one point like a prerequisite for the season to be finished before it faded from the agenda.
It has since returned in relation to specific higher-risk matches and, although all the clubs favour playing at home and away, there is agreement that if neutral grounds were needed for a small number of games, then so be it. One reason for them could be a local rise in coronavirus cases.
There were not too many resolutions passed during the three-hour call, although the use of five substitutes for the remainder of the season was voted through. Shareholders also approved an increase in the number of players on the bench from seven to nine.
Some of the demands from broadcasters to enhance their coverage were granted – namely a camera in the tunnel, a microphone on the coin toss between the captains, a celebration-cam and optional crowd noise on the TV. Dressing-room cameras and half-time interviews are unlikely to happen. They were not discussed during the meeting.
The scheduling of the fixtures beyond the third full match round, when the FA Cup quarter-finals also enter the equation, has not been finalised. It is important to note that the schedule for the first three full rounds is provisional, with minor tweaks possible. The extensive discussions have involved all four broadcasters: Sky, BT Sport, the BBC and Amazon.
The reopening night is expected to kick off with Aston Villa’s crucial home game against Sheffield United at 6pm, followed by Manchester City v Arsenal at 8pm. Further highlights include Tottenham v Manchester United on Friday 19 June at 8pm, Chelsea v Manchester City on Thursday 25 June at 8.15pm and Manchester City v Liverpool on Thursday 2 July at 8.15pm.
There has been a good deal of to and fro over curtailment scenarios in the unhappy event that the restart stalls and the season cannot be completed, with the league favouring an unweighted points-per-game calculation. However, nothing was decided on this at the meeting, with it being kicked down the road for another day.
There was the feeling that with the return so close, it was better to concentrate on the numerous items that needed to be fine-tuned rather than take up time with something that may not be required and could be hard to agree upon before the resumption. After a few matches, the table could look rather different so perhaps clubs do not want to commit to something they later regret. Options are to remain open until a decision must be taken.
The detailed behind-closed-doors matchday protocols were discussed and the clubs will continue to do this next week. There was no agreement on whether players injured in January and left off the 25-man squad lists will be able to come back.