There will be at least six Premier League matches that will take place on a neutral pitch once the English championship is restarted. The decision to have some matches played away from the cities of the clubs involved was taken to avoid the risk of crowds gathering near the facilities. The first game to be played on neutral ground, and of course behind closed doors, will be Manchester City-Liverpool. To follow, Manchester City-Newcastle, Manchester United-Sheffield United, Newcastle-Liverpool, Everton-Liverpool, as well as any match that will guarantee Liverpool the mathematical certainty of the Premier League victory.
In the meantime, today the English Football Association has also announced the dates for the conclusion of the FA Cup, which will start again from the quarterfinals (27-28 June). The semifinals - which will be played in Wembley - are scheduled for 18 and 19 July, while the final is scheduled for Saturday 1 August.
However, we look to the future with confidence: the fans will be able to return to watch the matches live during the next season, at least according to Richard Masters, general manager of the English League, during an interview with Sky Sports. "Nobody - Masters' words - can still know for sure when we can reopen the stadiums. But there is optimism among the Premier clubs that the fans will be able to return to the stands during the next season. Most likely it will be a gradual return".
Finally, good news to date is the recovery from Covid-19 of the Leicester coach, Brendan Rodgers. The manager, who would not have suffered consequences from the infection, leads the team where, on 12 March last, the first cases of positivity in the Premier League were recorded.
