Sheffield United set to kick off Premier League restart on June 17

The Blades' match at Aston Villa and Arsenal's trip to Manchester City have been earmarked as the first football matches to be played in this country since the season was suspended in mid-March because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The four teams have an extra game to play because their league fixtures were postponed due to the League Cup final.

The other 16 teams will play at the weekend, with matches even more staggered than usual for live television coverage.

With every team having nine matches to play by June 18, the aim is complete the Premier League season on the weekend of August 1/2, with the FA Cup final pencilled in for August 8.

Sheffield United are still in the FA Cup, which is at the quarter-final stage.

The last Premier League match played was Leicester City's 4-0 win over Aston Villa, two days after the Blades beat Norwich City.

While the majority of matches are set to be played at their original venues, the Police are said to want some high-profile games to be played at neutral venues to prevent supporters gathering outside.

Liverpool are on course to win the title for the first time since 1990, and could secure it in their second match back, due to be at Selhurst Park.

Generally, though, if clubs meet the cost of of policing and extra stewarding, they are relaxed about matches taking place at the grounds they were originally intended to. The issue of neutral venues had been a thorny one in discussions over “project restart”.

Sheffield United are on course to secure European qualification for the first time in their history, either through the league or the FA Cup.

Their matches against rival European contenders Tottenham Hotspur, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Chelsea and Everton, as well as their FA Cup quarter-final against Arsenal, were due to be at Bramall Lane. Games against Villa, Manchester United, Burnley, Leicester and Southampton were due to be away.

Games will be played behind closed doors. Since the Bundesliga resumed a fortnight ago, teams playing away from home have had a better record.

Championship clubs returned to training a week later than their Premier League counterparts, but can be expected to follow suit.

Leeds United are keen to play again so they can try to win promotion on the pitch, but so long as the Premier League season is completed, producing three candidates for relegation, their chances will be much improved. Marcelo Bielsa's team are top of the Championship, seven points ahead of the play-off places, with nine matches to play.

Barnsley are bottom, and looking to make up the seven-point gap to Hull City, who oppose a resumption. Middlesbrough and Huddersfield Town are within three points of the relegation zone.

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