Arsenal vs Man City, plus the north London and Merseyside derbies – Premier League fixtures we can’t wait for after the restart
After an unprecedented three-month break, the Premier League will finally return on June 17, and now we’ve got some confirmed fixtures to get excited about.
The coronavirus pandemic has brought the beautiful game to a halt and to be honest, here at talkSPORT.com, we’ve been beside ourselves without it.
Arsenal will travel to Manchester City as the Premier League restarts on June 17
Bizarrely, the three months without action makes it feel like a whole new campaign should be starting – even though only 92 matches remain of the 2019/20 season.
However, aside from Liverpool inevitably being crowned champions, there is still so much to play for this campaign.
Jurgen Klopp’s men are way out in front – an incredible 25 points ahead of nearest challengers Manchester City – and can win it against Everton on 21 June.
Brendan Rodgers reveals how Leicester City are preparing for playing without fans
Leicester are on course to secure Champions League qualification while there is set to be a big battle for the final top four spot, with SIX clubs – Chelsea, Manchester United, Wolves, Sheffield United, Tottenham and Arsenal – all still in with a shot of playing in Europe’s elite competition next season.
At the bottom, Norwich look doomed to relegation, while Aston Villa, Bournemouth, Watford, West Ham and Brighton are all battling for survival.
With dates and times confirmed for the first few rounds of fixtures, here’s some of the games we can’t wait to see.
LATEST FOOTBALL NEWS
Arsenal vs Manchester City – June 17 – 8.15pm
On the first night of football returning, let’s hope it does not disappoint!
With City’s race for the title all but over, all eyes will be on the Gunners who simply have to get the three points if they have any hope of making the top four.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has been handed a boost with Kieran Tierney finally back from injury. The Scot has been limited to just five Premier League appearances this season due to a string of setbacks.
However, Arteta will be fearful of City’s XI – which is packed full of world-class players.
Leroy Sane may well feature for the first time this season having suffered a knee injury in the Community Shield against Liverpool – which will make Arsenal fans even more wary.
Arteta’s men need three points against City with the Gunners eight points off fourth place
Aston Villa vs Sheffield United – June 17 – 6pm
Another huge match with big implications at both ends of the table – and it’s also the first match of the restart.
The Blades have been magnificent on their return to the Premier League and they currently sit five points adrift of Chelsea in fourth.
Chris Wilder will know that they must beat Villa to kickstart a surge for Champions League qualification.
Villa, meanwhile, are two points adrift of safety and cannot afford to lose if they want to stay in the Premier League.
Every match for the rest of the campaign is a cup final for the Villans, as Dean Smith will know.
The Blades are seventh in both this table and the real Premier League table
Aston Villa vs Chelsea – June 21 – 4.15pm
The next set of fixtures will take place on the weekend of June 20, with all 20 clubs set to grace our screens.
And it will be a very quick turnaround for Villa, who will host Chelsea four days after their first game back.
Frank Lampard has had a solid debut campaign in charge of the Blues but he will probably count himself lucky that coronavirus came when it did, given the run that Manchester United went on prior to football’s suspension.
Just three points separate Chelsea and United – and beating a Villa side who are desperate to stay up will be no small task.
Chelsea are in fourth place in the Premier League but Man United are on their tail sitting three points behind
Tottenham vs Man United – June 19 – 8.15pm
Jose Mourinho has made no secret of his desire for football to come back and the match against his former club is the pick of the first weekend’s action.
Spurs have had a disappointing season and results have been mixed under the Portuguese since he succeeded Mauricio Pochettino in November.
However, Mourinho will be elated that the coronavirus-enforced stoppage has seen a number of key players – including Harry Kane, Steven Bergwijn, Moussa Sissoko and Heung-min Son – recover from injuries.
Meanwhile, Man United fans will licking their lips at the prospect of Bruno Fernandes and Paul Pogba playing together, with the former having an exceptional start to life at Old Trafford with two goals and three assists in his opening five league outings.
Pogba may well surprise many by signing a new deal at the club, though reports continue to swirl that both Juventus and Real Madrid are keen to sign the World Cup winner in the summer.
Solskjaer’s men were on an eight-match unbeaten run before football was supended
Everton vs Liverpool – June 21 – 7pm
A Merseyside derby without fans will be surreal to say the least, but Reds fans will be eagerly watching nonetheless as they close in on their first title in 30 years.
Having lost just one match all season, Jurgen Klopp’s are on track to break the points record by the end of the season in August and they have no major injury problems. Considering there could be a title party in the aftermath, the venue for this is still to be decided.
Unfortunately the same cannot be said for Everton, with Yerry Mina expected to miss the resumption because of a partial tear in his left thigh.
Carlo Ancelotti will also be disappointed after Jean-Philippe Gbamin was cruelly ruled out for another six months with an Achilles injury.
It is a huge blow for the 24-year-old, who has made just two appearances since joining the Toffees in a £25million deal from Mainz last summer.
Veteran boss Ancelotti overturned Everton’s fortunes since taking over in January
Liverpool vs Crystal Palace – June 24 – 8.15pm
Could this be the match where the Reds are crowned the champions? Or will Crystal Palace spoil the party like they did in 2014?
If Liverpool win their first match against Everton, they will just need three points against Palace to seal the title.
If it does happen, it will could see one of the most bizarre trophy lifts in football history with each player standing two metres apart while Jordan Henderson does his traditional leg shake.
Klopp’s men are just six points away from their first tile in 30 years, having won an incredible 27 out of 29 matches this season
Tottenham vs Arsenal – TBC
Spurs fans will be rightfully devastated the first north London derby at their incredible new stadium will be played behind closed doors.
This match could be a mouth-watering fixture in the race for the top four and north London derbies rarely disappoint.
Harry Kane, who has scored a staggering 10 goals in 12 matches against the Gunners, will return to the fold in Mourinho’s XI.
The England captain looked as sharp as ever in a training video he posted on social media last month.
Mourinho is raring for football to get back on and he will be hoping Spurs kickstart a surge for the top four
No comments:
Post a Comment