Premier League 'to restart on June 17 after coronavirus shutdown'

By Barney Corkhill, Editor | 28 May 2020

The Premier League season will return on June 17 with Manchester City vs. Arsenal and Aston Villa vs. Sheffield United, 100 days after the last game.

The Premier League will return on June 17 following the coronavirus shutdown, according to a report.

Top-flight football in England has been postponed since March 13 due to the outbreak of COVID-19, with the last game having taken place on March 9 when Leicester City thrashed Aston Villa 4-0.

BBC Sport now reports that action will resume exactly 100 days later on Wednesday, June 17 with Manchester City vs. Arsenal and Aston Villa vs. Sheffield United - the two games in hand.

The first full fixture list would then take place on the weekend of June 19-21, after which there would be 80 matches of the 2019-20 season left to play.

All of the matches would take place behind closed doors and, while clubs are still in talks over elements of the restart, there is understood to be unanimous agreement on a June 17 date.

On Wednesday, clubs unanimously voted to return to contact training, while 12 people associated with Premier League clubs have so far tested positive for COVID-19.

Players and staff will continue to be tested twice a week, and anyone who tests positive will be forced to self-isolate for seven days.

The division will resume with Liverpool sitting 25 points clear and only two wins away from claiming their first title for 30 years, while Bournemouth, Aston Villa and Norwich City currently sit in the relegation zone.