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The rapid spread of the coronavirus across the world has caused all footballing activities in Europe- except the Belarus Premier League- to be suspended for the foreseeable future.
The English Premier League has been suspended for three weeks now, with no matches having been played since Leicester City’s 4-0 thrashing of Aston Villa on March 9.
The end does not seem to be in sight, however. England's top division has already extended the suspension twice and there is now talk that there could be no more football until the start of June.
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So the real question here is: what options does the Premier League have regarding the 2019-20 season and how would their clubs react to these measures?
Current season standings
Premier League title hopefuls - Liverpool
The coronavirus might impact Liverpool more than any other club in the Premier League and, possibly, even in Europe. The Merseyside giants have had to wait thirty long years to get their hands on the elusive Premier League trophy, dubbed the ‘Holy Grail’ by many of the club's supporters.
Liverpool currently sit 25 points clear at the summit of the English top flight, a mere two victories away from claiming the prize that the Reds faithful so desperately crave.
Jurgen Klopp's men came within a whisker of the title last season, finishing just one point behind eventual champions Manchester City, who have been exceptional in the past three seasons under Pep Guardiola. In the process, the Reds became the team with the highest number of points in a Premier League season without winning the title (97 points).
This season, however, the Merseysiders are way ahead of every other club in the title race, winning 27 of their 29 matches to date, dropping points only to Manchester United and Watford.
This has prompted Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan to concede that it would only be “fair” for Liverpool to be handed the title.
The Reds, therefore, have the most to lose from the present crisis especially since they have been nothing short of spectacular throughout the season.
Champions League hopefuls - Leicester City, Chelsea, Manchester United, Wolves, Sheffield United, Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal and Burnley
Chelsea currently occupy the fourth spot in the Premier League table- which is normally the final Champions League berth- with 48 points so far this season.
However, if Manchester City’s two-year Champions League ban is upheld, the fifth spot may open up a potential route into Europe's elite competition for several clubs in the top half of the league. Alas, only six points separate fifth-placed Manchester United (45 points) and tenth-placed Burnley (39 points).
Leicester City are also in a Champions League spot as they sit in third place, with a tally of 53 points, that would ensure they qualify for the next edition of the competition.
So, whether the Premier League is finished or not, the hierarchy’s decision regarding the conclusion of the current season will prove to be a pivotal one for these clubs’ immediate futures.
Relegation strugglers - Norwich City, Aston Villa, Bournemouth, Watford, West Ham and Brighton
Norwich City may sit at the bottom of the Premier League table, a daunting six points from safety, but they still hold hopes of retaining their place in the top division.
Leicester City’s ‘Mission Impossible’ relegation escape in the 2014-15 campaign will give the Canaries enough confidence to achieve their goal. Furthermore, the Foxes' eventual title win the following season will provide them with an even bigger resolution to fulfil their ambitions.
Elsewhere in the relegation battle, 19th-placed Aston Villa and 15th-placed Brighton are only separated by four points on the table. There is certainly plenty for them to fight for in the remaining nine fixtures and it would make for an enthralling end to the season, especially with the league title most likely heading to Anfield.
Vitally for the clubs engaged in the bottom-of-the-table dogfight, their futures will be heavily impacted over the next few months, not only regarding their results in the top flight but also in terms of the action the Premier League chiefs will take in the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic.
The UK is still in national lockdown and there are no certainties as to what will happen to the 2019-20 season. The difference in the revenue received by clubs in the Premier League and the Championship is also mammoth, making relegation and promotion battles key for the clubs involved in them.
Retaining their spot in the top division has the potential to elevate these clubs to future success, while losing the opportunity to play in the first division could prove to be the start of a downward spiral for them.
Ultimately, what happens to the league this season is of paramount importance to all of these clubs.
So, what are the Premier League’s options?
#1 World Cup-style training camps
Over the weekend, Premier League officials met to discuss available options regarding the conclusion of the current season. One of the ideas that were tabled is believed to be the implementation of isolated World Cup-style training camps for Premier League teams in the midlands and London throughout June and July.
In this scenario, the remaining games would be played in isolated training camps and would be televised for viewers at home to enjoy whilst the country combats the coronavirus.
This option perfectly suits Liverpool as it allows them to complete the season and gives them the chance to win their first league title in 30 years.
Although this would mean the Reds would have to claim the trophy in the absence of fans, they are unlikely to let it dampen the celebrations as this particular piece of silverware is of paramount importance to the club. Besides, the team will have plenty of time to parade the trophy around the city and celebrate with fans over the next year.
Meanwhile, teams vying for the Champions League spots will also be content with this option and the same goes for relegation-threatened teams. While clubs outside the relegation zone will not mind the season ending now, those involved in a bottom-of-the-table dogfight will be delighted to have the opportunity to escape relegation.
#2 Declaring the season null and void
Another option at the Premier League’s disposal is to declare the current season null and void. This option, which is arguably the most controversial, would mean that the entire campaign will simply be wiped out and the results would be obliterated.
This means that no club would be declared winners or get relegated this season. Manchester City would keep hold of the league title while the Champions League and Europa League places would go to the teams that earned them the previous season.
This option would represent the worst possible outcome for Liverpool, whose hard work and excellence throughout the majority of this season would all be for nothing. Furthermore, this would ultimately deny the Reds their first ever Premier League trophy and their first league title in three decades. This would, therefore, be met with major hostility on the red half of Merseyside.
When it comes to the Champions League hopefuls, this scenario becomes a lot more complex. This option would ensure that Leicester City would not qualify for next year’s Champions League campaign since they did not finish in the top four last season. This would certainly not go down well at the King Power Stadium as the Foxes will feel they have done enough to prove they deserve qualification into Europe’s top-tier competition.
This would also deny Leicester City millions of pounds in broadcasting and matchday revenue that the Champions League opens up for its competitors.
Meanwhile, this option would perfectly suit Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur, who have both been a part of the Champions League this season. Although the Blues already occupy a place in this season’s top four, Spurs have been off the boil so far this year and sit in eighth place, outside of even the Europa League spots. This scenario would therefore hugely benefit Spurs and would also make life easier for Chelsea.
This decision would serve as a huge blow for the likes of Manchester United, Wolves, Sheffield United, Arsenal and Burnley. None of these teams qualified for the current edition of the Champions League and would, therefore, have no chance of qualifying for the next campaign if the present season were to be declared null and void.
Given their current league standings, these clubs have a decent chance of finishing in a Champions League spot if they play all scheduled games. As a result, they would be hugely disappointed if they are denied a shot at achieving that feat this season.
Meanwhile, declaring the season null and void would be welcomed with open arms by the relegation-threatened teams. This scenario would mean that all teams under the threat of relegation would be guaranteed a place in next season’s Premier League, allowing them to rebuild over the summer and restart next term.
#3 Current standings represent the season as a whole
This option could prove to be the fairest solution for Premier League chiefs if the season cannot feasibly be completed. In this scenario, the current standings would be taken as the final outcome for each club while the title winners, Champions League qualifiers and relegated sides would be decided based on these positions.
This decision would be welcomed by Liverpool as it would ensure their victory in the Premier League after a scintillating campaign. Despite being so far ahead, there could be a feeling that their feat is slightly hollow since they did not gain the maximum number of points to officially confirm themselves as Premier League champions. Overall though, the Reds will be relatively pleased if this option were to be exercised by the league hierarchy.
Leicester City and Chelsea will also be content with this option as it would mean that they would qualify for the Champions League next term. Manchester United, on the other hand, might be handed a chance to qualify, depending on the outcome of Manchester City’s Champions League ban appeal.
Meanwhile, Wolves, Sheffield United, Spurs, Arsenal and Burnley will be left discontent and will feel as though they could have broken into the Champions League spots had they been given the chance to complete the season.
For the bottom half of the table, the decision could bring about mixed emotions. Norwich City, Aston Villa and Bournemouth would all be automatically relegated without getting the chance to fight for their place in the Premier League.
On the other hand, Watford, West Ham United and Brighton will avoid relegation despite being so close to the drop zone, with a quarter of the season yet to be completed.
#4 Wait until the season is safe to resume and finish the campaign behind closed doors
The final option for the Premier League hierarchy would be to complete the season when the coronavirus crisis has improved. This would mean that games would have to take place in the absence of fans and with a small number of staff and officials.
Even if the government’s ban on mass gatherings means all games would have to be played behind closed doors, this option would ensure the season is finished at all costs. This decision will also give Liverpool a legitimate chance to claim their first Premier League title and will even allow them to earn the right to be called champions as they will play all the games scheduled for the campaign.
Although this decision would mean Leicester City and Chelsea would have to continue their fight for a Champions League spot, there is unlikely to be any big complaint from them considering their stance in the league and Manchester City’s pending European ban.
This option would, however, also allow other sides to take their place in the Champions League berths. Clubs immediately outside the top four would, therefore, be delighted with this set-up, if it were to be put in place.
While clubs outside the relegation zone would prefer the season to be voided (as West Ham vice-chairman Karren Brady publicly voiced recently), they are unlikely to have any complaints at being given the chance to fight for a place in the Premier League.
Meanwhile, the teams in the relegation zone are likely to be relieved with the decision as it would provide them with the opportunity to escape displacement to the Championship.
Final thoughts
Ultimately, the most important thing to gather from the current situation is the importance of the overall health and safety of everyone involved in the Premier League, with the hierarchy's decisions in the near future expected to ensure that this remains the case.
The most ideal scenario would be for the season to be completed in the regular stadiums in front of fans. However, a set-up where the remaining games are played behind closed doors or in World Cup-style training camps, where matches can be televised from, is also believed to be a decent option.
However, as the ongoing coronavirus crisis is expected to extend into the summer, the Premier League hierarchy might decide to either declare the season as null and void or determine the results from the current standings.
While many teams have a lot to play for in the Premier League, other clubs have plenty to lose if any of the aforementioned decisions will be taken by the upper echelons of the top flight. At the end of the day, the season has to end one way or another and it would be in everyone’s best interests if the next campaign could get underway as normal.
