Summary

  • Arsenal's Mikel Arteta speaks to media

  • Chris Wilder (Sheff Utd) & Dean Smith (Aston Villa) have already spoken

  • Latest news updates as Premier League returns this week

  • Premier League returns on Wednesday with Aston Villa v Sheff Utd & Man City v Arsenal

  1. How will the Premier League restart look?published at 16:09 British Summer Time 15 June 2020

    The Premier League is set to resume on Wednesday after it was suspended on 13 March.

    We already know things are going to look a little different with all of the remaining 92 matches scheduled to be played behind closed doors – but what else will change?

    Here are a few points worth a look at:

    • Match day squads will shift up to 20 per club with clubs allowed to use up to five substitutes each in games.
    • A maximum of 300 people - including broadcast staff, written media, commentators, doping officials and scouts - will be allowed inside stadiums for matches.
    • Stadiums will be split into red, amber and green zones with each team's red zone pass holders to include 20 players, 12 coaching and medical staff and a further five essential staff.
    • Players will undergo Covid-19 tests at their club's training ground before travelling to stadiums for matches.
    • Teams will take the field separately, not side-by-side, and games will feature drinks breaks midway through each half.
  2. Guess who'll be back playing on Friday?published at 16:00 British Summer Time 15 June 2020

    Tottenham Hotspur

    This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    Skip twitter post

    Allow Twitter content?

    This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    End of twitter post
  3. Arsenal's Arteta coming uppublished at 15:54 British Summer Time 15 June 2020

    A reminder that Arsenal's Mikel Arteta, who you recall tested positive for coronavirus back in March, will be talking to the media at about 16:00 BST.

    The Gunners are at Manchester City at 20:15 BST on Wednesday.

    .Image source, .
  4. Premier League returns: The season so far in eight graphicspublished at 15:39 British Summer Time 15 June 2020

    Some of us have hazy memories, so to clear the haze we have produced a reminder of the Premier League season so far with the aid of text and graphics.

    Below are some graphics and click here to read the piece.

    .Image source, .
    .Image source, .
  5. The key Premier League stories so far on Mondaypublished at 15:30 British Summer Time 15 June 2020

    • The first Premier League pre-match news conferences are held for the first time since March.
    • Aston Villa boss Dean Smith says his players are "itching to return"
    • Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder has confirmed his club will extend Dean Henderson's loan deal in the coming days.
    • Striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang says the decision whether to sign a new deal with Arsenal is "possibly the most important" of his career.
    • Tottenham will give some of their supporters the chance to be part of a live video fan wall during Friday's home game against Manchester United.
  6. Somewhat less vintage...published at 15:23 British Summer Time 15 June 2020

    You can watch Netherlands v France from Euro 2008 on BBC Two/iPlayer right now. The Dutch were quite incredible early on in the tournament before they were dumped out by Russia.

    Click here.

  7. Sticking with vintage...published at 15:19 British Summer Time 15 June 2020

    Now by now you're aware that the BBC will be broadcasting live Premier League matches for the first time...ever.

    This is what it looked like when Marcus Rashford was minus nine years old.

    Media caption,

    What Match of the Day looked like the last time BBC broadcast the top flight in 1988.

  8. In case of Sharpe-like celebration...published at 15:12 British Summer Time 15 June 2020

    Sticking with Spurs, they are ensuring that no flagpole is left... er... un-disinfected.

    Once upon a time there was a player called Lee Sharpe - you may have heard of him - who grabbed a corner flag and pretended to use it as a microphone, after he scored a goal.

    Imagine!

    This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    Skip twitter post

    Allow Twitter content?

    This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    End of twitter post
  9. Your chance to be on the big screen (if you're a Spurs fan)published at 15:02 British Summer Time 15 June 2020

    Tottenham Hotspur

    We mentioned that Aston Villa had looked at playing supporter songs and audio through their public address system to give them an edge when they return to action at Villa Park earlier.

    But what are other clubs doing?

    Well it looks like Tottenham a will have live video fan wall when they entertain Manchester United on Friday evening (20:15 BST).

    Read more here.

  10. Plzen striker subjected to racist abusepublished at 14:57 British Summer Time 15 June 2020

    Despite recent world events, there was a a racist incident that marred the Czech top flight match between Olomouc and Plzen when Plzen's 28-year-old French striker Jean-David Beauguel was subjected to abuse.

    "We firmly believe it was a rare act by some individuals but that doesn’t make it less serious," the league said, external. "There’s no place for such fans at the stadiums."

    The league said its disciplinary committee will deal with the issue on Thursday.

  11. Gary didn't even have the internet back then!!published at 14:48 British Summer Time 15 June 2020

    This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    Skip twitter post

    Allow Twitter content?

    This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    End of twitter post
  12. Some advice for fans from a prominent Boston United supporterpublished at 14:40 British Summer Time 15 June 2020

    This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    Skip twitter post

    Allow Twitter content?

    This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    End of twitter post

    Watch this and follow the advice.

  13. Premier League 'will be quite different' on returnpublished at 14:32 British Summer Time 15 June 2020

    Jonny EvansImage source, .

    Leicester City defender Jonny Evans says the return of the Premier League this week will offer up something "quite different" as top-flight clubs prepare to play in empty stadiums.

    Third-placed Leicester resume their campaign behind closed doors against Watford on 20 June, their first game since beating Aston Villa on 9 March.

    "There will be that element of it that will feel very strange but there will be a lot of people tuning into the games on TV. It will be something different to be a part of," said Evans.

    The Premier League will recommence on Wednesday, 17 June, with Aston Villa playing Sheffield United and Manchester City hosting Arsenal, the first matches to be played in the division for more than three months because of the restrictions imposed by the coronavirus health pandemic.

    Read more here.

  14. Scotland fans look away nowpublished at 14:25 British Summer Time 15 June 2020

    This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    Skip twitter post

    Allow Twitter content?

    This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    End of twitter post
  15. Marcelo down on one knee after scoring for Realpublished at 14:18 British Summer Time 15 June 2020

    Real Madrid's MarceloImage source, Getty Images

    Marcelo appeared to show his support for the Black Lives Matter movement by 'taking a knee' after scoring the third goal for Real Madrid in their 3-1 win over Eibar on Sunday.

    It was Real's first competitive match at the Alfredo di Stefano stadium following La Liga's three-month break due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

    Read the report here.

  16. Been on the photo editing software, Toby?published at 14:08 British Summer Time 15 June 2020

    This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    Skip twitter post

    Allow Twitter content?

    This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    End of twitter post

    No doubt you all know that Tottenham are hosting Manchester United on Friday - that's at usual 20:15 BST.

  17. Postpublished at 14:00 British Summer Time 15 June 2020

    Aston Villa v Sheff Utd (Weds, 18:00 BST)

    Aston Villa

    Oh and just one more...

    This will be Aston Villa’s first ever competitive match played in the month of June. Sheffield United have played twice before in June, winning both matches 2-1 in the 1946-47 top-flight campaign (vs Arsenal and Stoke City).

    The 1946–47 season was the first to feature a full football programme of games in England since the 1938–39 campaign prior to World War Two.

    Unprecedented times.

  18. Fans react: The Premier League is back!published at 13:54 British Summer Time 15 June 2020

  19. Postpublished at 13:49 British Summer Time 15 June 2020

    Aston Villa v Sheff Utd (Weds, 18:00)

    Aston Villa

    Now if you're a bit of a football nerd there hasn't been too much time for match-related stats recently. So, with that in mind here are a few that relate to the first Premier League game for ages on Wednesday.

    • Aston Villa have lost two of their last three league meetings against Sheffield United (D1), as many as in their previous 14 against the Blades (W7 D5 L2).
    • Sheffield United won the reverse fixture 2-0 in December and are looking to secure their first league double over Aston Villa since the 1965-66 campaign.
    • In this exact fixture in the Championship last season, Billy Sharp’s hat-trick gave Sheffield United a 3-0 lead, before Aston Villa scored three times in the final 10 minutes to salvage a point.
    • Only Liverpool (9) have conceded fewer away goals than Sheffield United in the Premier League this season (12), with the Blades the only side yet to concede more than twice in a game on the road this term.
    • Aston Villa have lost their last four Premier League matches and have failed to keep a clean sheet in any of their last nine in the competition.

    Those matches feel that long ago I can't even remember them. But if you're wondering those defeats were against Bournemouth, Tottenham, Southampton and Leicester.