English Premier League: What’s Next?
Illustration by Carolyn Burt
The English Premier League (EPL), like all the other leagues around the world trying to cope with the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, is still trying to figure out how to finish the 2019-20 season gracefully. Other news and gossip, such as the speculation that Spurs and England forward, Harry Kane, probably won't be going to Manchester United; that Newcastle United looks set to be taken over by a Saudi consortium; or Arsenal players and coaches have agreed to a 12.5 percent pay cut; has faded into the background.
Most players' contracts expire on June 30 of any year, which complicates any proposal that once things return to some kind of normal, at least some of the remaining fixtures can be played. At least one thing is clear: Liverpool could be crowned champions as they have put so much daylight between them and the second place team, Manchester City.
Pressure is building on the Premier League to end the season with the current standings, and on Tuesday, the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) eased their tone towards the leagues that want to end seasons early, though it's possible the respective countries’ governments would make that decision for UEFA anyway. Belgium decided that it wants to make their current league's standing the final ones, and it's probable most, if not all the UEFA members leagues, will follow suit.
UEFA recently stated they want to complete the Champions and Europa Leagues in August, but with the aforementioned contract issue no one seems sure how this will work. For comparison, the Euro 2020 competition was cancelled over a month ago.
If the Premier League doesn't play another game this season, then the first four teams will receive European Champions League places for next season, with the caveat that Manchester City is currently appealing their ban from that league for the next two seasons for breaking fair play rules. If the ban is upheld, then their arch-rivals, Manchester United, will receive the fourth Champions League spot, and their Europa League place will be given to sixth place, Wolverhampton Wanderers.
As for relegation from the Premier League, last place belongs to Norwich at 21 points, who are four points behind Aston Villa; who in turn are two points behind three teams: West Ham, Watford, and Bournemouth. At the moment there seems to be no consensus about who the unlucky team or teams will be that make the drop into the English League Championship.
In the race for promotion from the Championship, Leeds United and West Bromwich Albion have pulled away from the third place team, Brentford. By the current rules, only the first two placed teams are guaranteed promotion to the EPL, with teams placed third through sixth playing a knockout tournament to decide the third and final promotion spot.
Leeds United was the dominant team during the 1970s in the old First Division, the predecessor to the Premier League, but fell on hard times and entered administration (essentially bankruptcy) in 2007. They eventually descended into the third tier of professional English soccer, before slowly working their way back to being this close to promotion. It would be a shame if their aspirations were thwarted by a virus.