Premier League Reveals Dates, Start Times for 3 Matchdays Amid COVID-19

Jon Super/Associated Press

The Premier League announced Friday the schedule for the first three matchdays of the resumed 2019-20 season, which was postponed in March due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Liverpool will return with a nearly insurmountable 25-point lead over Manchester City in the title race with nine matches left to play. The Reds need six points to clinch the title.

Here's a look at the full list of confirmed fixtures:

June 17

Aston Villa vs. Sheffield United (6 p.m. BST; 1 p.m. ET)

Manchester City vs. Arsenal (8:15 p.m. BST; 3:15 p.m. ET)

June 19

Norwich City vs. Southampton (6 p.m. BST; 1 p.m. ET)

Tottenham Hotspur vs. Manchester United (8:15 p.m. BST; 3:15 p.m. ET)

June 20

Watford vs. Leicester City (12:30 p.m. BST; 7:30 a.m. ET)

Brighton & Hove Albion vs. Arsenal (3 p.m. BST; 10 a.m. ET)

West Ham United vs. Wolverhampton Wanderers (5:30 p.m. BST; 12:30 p.m. ET)

Bournemouth vs. Crystal Palace (7:45 p.m. BST; 2:45 p.m. ET)

June 21

Newcastle United vs. Sheffield Utd (2 p.m. BST; 9 a.m. ET)

Aston Villa vs. Chelsea (4:15 p.m. BST; 11:15 a.m. ET)

Everton vs. Liverpool (7 p.m. BST; 2 p.m. ET)

June 22

Man City vs. Burnley (8 p.m. BST; 3 p.m. ET)

June 23

Leicester vs. Brighton (6 p.m. BST; 1 p.m. ET)

Spurs vs. West Ham (8:15 p.m. BST; 3:15 p.m. ET)

June 24

Man Utd vs. Sheffield Utd (6 p.m. BST; 1 p.m. ET)

Newcastle vs. Aston Villa (6 p.m. BST; 1 p.m. ET)

Norwich vs. Everton (6 p.m. BST; 1 p.m. ET)

Wolves vs. Bournemouth (6 p.m. BST; 1 p.m. ET)

Liverpool vs. Crystal Palace (8:15 p.m. BST; 3:15 p.m. ET)

June 25

Burnley vs. Watford (6 p.m. BST; 1 p.m. ET)

Southampton vs. Arsenal (6 p.m. BST; 1 p.m. ET)

Chelsea vs. Man City (8:15 p.m. BST; 3:15 p.m. ET)

June 27

Aston Villa vs. Wolves (12:30 p.m. BST; 7:30 a.m. ET)

June 28

Watford vs. Southampton (4:30 p.m. BST; 11:30 a.m. ET)

June 29

Crystal Palace vs. Burnley (8 p.m. BST; 3 p.m. ET)

June 30

Brighton vs. Man Utd (8:15 p.m. BST; 3:15 p.m. ET)

July 1

Arsenal vs. Norwich (6 p.m. BST; 1 p.m. ET)

Bournemouth vs. Newcastle (6 p.m. BST; 1 p.m. ET)

Everton vs. Leicester City (6 p.m. BST; 1 p.m. ET)

West Ham vs. Chelsea (8:15 p.m. BST; 3:15 p.m. ET)

July 2

Sheffield Utd vs. Spurs (6 p.m. BST; 1 p.m. ET)

Man City vs. Liverpool (8:15 p.m. BST; 3:15 p.m. ET)

Premier League chief executive Richard Masters released a statement about the next step towards the resumption of play, which will happen without fans in attendance because of COVID-19:

"We are pleased to provide fans with further updates on the provisional restart of the Premier League season.

"We know it won't be the same without our loyal supporters in stadiums but, together with our broadcast partners, we are able to ensure fans can watch or listen to each match live from home. It is important that as many people as possible can access our games, so we are extremely happy that more than a third of our remaining fixtures will be televised free-to-air here in the UK.

"I am delighted we are able to take another positive step towards the season returning in just under two weeks' time."

The sites of two Liverpool matches on the revised schedule, June 21 against Everton and July 2 against Manchester City, haven't been confirmed amid continued coronavirus safety discussions, per ESPN's Mark Ogden.

While the Reds have virtually locked up the title, the other races throughout the table are far more competitive as clubs prepare to resume play.

Leicester City (53 points), Chelsea (48) and Manchester United (45) currently hold the other Champions League positions followed by Wolverhampton Wanderers (43) and Sheffield United (43) in the Europa League spots. Manchester City are banned from UEFA competitions for the next two seasons pending an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Spurs (41) and Arsenal (40) headline the other clubs still within striking distance of a European berth.

At the opposite end of the table, Bournemouth (27), Aston Villa (25) and Norwich City (21) are currently on track for relegation. There's still time to dig out of the hole, however, with Brighton and Hove Albion (29), West Ham United (27) and Watford (27) also in danger when play resumes.

There are a total of 92 matches left to play to complete the 2019-20 season.