2019–20 Premier League

The 2019–20 Premier League was the 28th season of the Premier League, the top English professional football league, since its establishment in 1992, and the 121st season of top-flight English football overall. The season started on 9 August 2019 and concluded on 26 July 2020. Manchester City were the defending champions for the second successive year, after picking up the domestic treble the previous season. Liverpool won their first league title since 1990, the club's first of the Premier League era and nineteenth overall.

Over the season, Liverpool set a number of English top-flight records including the earliest title win (with seven games to spare), the biggest points lead at any time (25), and the most consecutive home wins (24, of which 7 were carried over from the previous season).

The season was halted for over three months, following a decision on 13 March 2020 by the Premier League to suspend the league after a number of players and other club staff became ill due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The initial suspension, until 4 April, was then extended to mid-June. The season recommenced with two matches on 17 June and a full round of matches played over the weekend of 19–22 June.

In 2019–20, the video assistant referee (VAR) review system was introduced. Changes to the laws affecting backpasses, penalties, handballs and substitutions were also introduced in 2019–20.

Summary

The Premier League season marked the start of a new three-year TV deal. One key change was that eight matches were shown on television at 19:45 on Saturdays across the season, broadcast by Sky Sports. Further, Amazon broadcast two rounds of fixtures in December, including the Merseyside derby, marking the first time an entire round of live matches had been broadcast domestically.

It was the first Premier League season to have a mid-season break in February. Three games of a normal round of ten were played on the weekend 8–9 February 2020, six games on the following weekend 14–17 February and the tenth game, Manchester City versus West Ham United, was rescheduled from 9 February to 19 February due to Storm Ciara. Games played on the same day had separate time slots such that the games did not overlap.

Title race

With Manchester City and Liverpool achieving 98 and 97 points respectively in the 2018–19 season, many expected another close race for the title. Liverpool started the season in strong form with eight consecutive wins, while City suffered shock defeats to newly promoted Norwich City and Wolverhampton Wanderers. Liverpool's 3–1 win over City at Anfield in November opened up an 8-point lead at the top of the table and they maintained their lead for the remainder of the season.

On 25 June 2020, Manchester City lost 2–1 to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, mathematically confirming Liverpool as champions and marking their first league title in 30 years, and their first of the Premier League era.
Upon winning the league, Liverpool claimed the unusual achievement of winning the Premier League earlier than any other team by games played (with seven games remaining) and later than any other team by date (the only team to clinch the title in the month of June).

Records and achievements

On 25 October 2019, Leicester City broke the Premier League record – as well as the all-time English top-flight record – for the largest away league win and equalled the biggest ever Premier League win when they defeated Southampton 9–0 at St Mary's Stadium.

During the season, Liverpool broke or tied several Premier League all-time records. They achieved a record-equalling 18 consecutive wins before being defeated by Watford on 29 February. They also set records of 24 consecutive home wins, and a 25-point lead in the table at any time.

On 12 January 2020, in a 6–1 victory over Aston Villa, Manchester City's Sergio Agüero broke Thierry Henry's Premier League record for most goals scored by an overseas player. In the same match, he also broke the record for most hat-tricks scored by a single player (12), previously held by Alan Shearer.

Black Lives Matter impact

As a gesture of solidarity following the murder of George Floyd, players' names on the back of their shirts were replaced with 'Black Lives Matter' for the first 12 matches of the restarted season as well as replacing the Premier League badge for the BLM's for the rest of the season. The Premier League also gave their support for any player who chooses to " take a knee" before or during matches. In addition, the NHS tribute badge was also used at all kits for the remainder of the season.

Relegation battle

On 11 July 2020, Norwich City became the first team to be relegated to the Championship after a 4–0 defeat at home to West Ham United with three games remaining. On 26 July 2020, Bournemouth were the second team to be relegated to the Championship on the final day of the season, despite winning 3–1 away to Everton. Watford were the final team to be relegated to the Championship after losing 3–2 away to Arsenal on the same day. Both of these results were coupled with Aston Villa's 1–1 draw against West Ham United, ensuring Aston Villa safety in the Premier League for another season. Coincidentally, the three relegated teams were the same teams promoted to the Premier League for the 2015–16 season.

Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic

From March 2020, the season was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. On 10 March, the match between Manchester City and Arsenal, due to be played the next day after being rescheduled due to City's participation in the 2020 EFL Cup Final, was postponed. A number of Arsenal players had made close contact with Olympiacos owner Evangelos Marinakis, who had tested positive for infection with the coronavirus, when the two teams had met in the Europa League 13 days earlier. It is the first football season in England to be halted since the 1939–40 season was abandoned after only three games following the outbreak of the Second World War.

On 12 March, it was revealed that three Leicester City players were self-isolating. Manchester City announced that their defender Benjamin Mendy was also self-isolating, after a family member displayed symptoms of the virus. Later in the evening, it was then confirmed that Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta had tested positive for coronavirus. As a result of Arteta's positive test, the match between Brighton & Hove Albion and Arsenal, scheduled for 14 March at the Amex, was postponed. On 13 March, Chelsea announced that their winger Callum Hudson-Odoi had tested positive for coronavirus.

On 13 March, following an emergency meeting between the Premier League, The Football Association (FA), the English Football League and the FA Women's Super League, it was unanimously decided to suspend professional football in England until at least 4 April 2020. On 19 March, the suspension was extended to at least 30 April 2020. At the same time the FA agreed to extend the season indefinitely, past the scheduled end date of 1 June. In April 2020, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Matt Hancock, called on Premier League players to take a pay cut during the pandemic. The PFA rejected the call as they felt that a cut for all players would impact the Exchequer with a loss of income tax revenue. Several clubs, including Watford, Southampton and West Ham United, all agreed to defer their wages. Later in April, the Premier League produced a plan, nicknamed "Project Restart", aimed at restarting the league and playing all 92 remaining matches over a six-week period at approved, neutral stadiums. Watford, Aston Villa and Brighton, all near the bottom of the table, were of the opinion that it would be unfair to play the games in such different conditions when at risk of relegation but would be more in favour if the threat of relegation was removed. From 19 May 2020, players were allowed to return to group training in preparation for restarting the league. They were permitted to be in groups of no more than five with all training sessions lasting no longer than 75 minutes for each player. Social distancing rules must be adhered to during the sessions.
On 17 and 18 May, a total of 748 players and staff were tested for COVID-19. Six tests proved positive including Adrian Mariappa of Watford and Burnley assistant manager, Ian Woan.
Later in May, Aaron Ramsdale of Bournemouth also returned a positive test for the virus.

A number of players, including Manchester City's Raheem Sterling and Sergio Agüero and Aaron Cresswell of West Ham United, voiced concerns relating to the safety of restarting the campaign. Danny Rose of Newcastle United called the decision to restart "a joke". Troy Deeney of Watford said he would not return to training because of fear for his family's health. N'Golo Kanté of Chelsea also missed training with safety concerns. On 27 May, the clubs voted unanimously to resume contact training. Aston Villa's Tyrone Mings said the players had not been consulted regarding restarting the league and that the restart was "financially driven".

On 28 May, clubs agreed that the season would restart on 17 June, with the two games in hand of Manchester City vs Arsenal and Aston Villa vs Sheffield United, with the first full round of fixtures since March to be played on the weekend of 19–21 June, with all matches played behind closed doors. A plan was announced for all remaining matches to be televised, and to widen the availability of domestic broadcasts: for the first time, the BBC
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