Liverpool Premier League title decider to be played at neutral venue
- Published
- comments
The police have put forward plans for some Premier League matches to be played at neutral venues, including games where Liverpool could win the title.
Deputy Chief Constable Mark Roberts of South Yorkshire Police, said: "Our discussions with the Premier League throughout this process have been positive, with a shared focus on the priority of public health."
"The majority of remaining matches will be played, at home and away as scheduled, with a small number of fixtures taking place at neutral venues."
Neutral venues in football are usually stadiums belonging to another team and are often used in cup competitions, such as the FA Cup final which is held at Wembley.
Manchester City v Liverpool
Manchester City v Newcastle
Man Utd v Shef Utd
Newcastle v Liverpool
Everton v Liverpool
The Merseyside derby is one fixture that may have to be played out of the city due to concerns over fans gathering outside Everton's Goodison Park, as Liverpool look to secure the first title in 30 years.
The Mayor of Liverpool, Joe Anderson, says he will work with both police and supporters' groups to find a solution when it comes to games which may have to be played at neutral grounds.
The Premier league announced its plans to restart on Thursday with two games taking place on 17 June - but only if it gets government approval.
The first set of planned fixtures will be Aston Villa at home to Sheffield United, and Manchester CIty against Arsenal. Those are two games that had already been delayed due to the Carabao Cup Final in March.
All 20 Premier League clubs would then play games across three days; Friday 19 , Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 June. Liverpool need just two more wins to win the title, or one if Manchester City lose their game in hand against Arsenal.
The plans to complete the Premier League season have been outlined as part of 'Project Restart', with the league hoping to finish the season by the weekend of August 1 and 2.
The plans run alongside the FA Cup competition with the final planned take place the following Saturday, 1 August.
The Premier League is set to follow the example of other leagues, such as the Bundesliga in Germany, and play games 'behind closed doors'. This means no fans will be allowed into stadiums, and there will be limits on the number of journalists and club staff that can attend.
Although the atmosphere might be a little quiet, the first two fixtures of 'Project Restart' will be no less important. Aston Villa are hoping to avoid Premier League relegation, while Sheffield United want to qualify for Europe.
Europe is also the aim for Arsenal, who begin away at Man City. While City in second place, will want to cut Liverpool's lead at the top of the league to 22 points.
Despite a chunk of games left to go, with such a huge lead, resuming the season means it's likely that Liverpool will finally win their first league title in 30 years.
How excited are you for the return of the Premier League? Will it be worth the wait? Let us know in the comments.
- Published27 May 2020
- Published26 August 2020