Players have accepted that playing games in closed stadiums might be the only way to complete the English domestic league season, Bobby Barnes, deputy chief executive of the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA), has said. English soccer has been suspended until at least April 30 due to the coronavirus crisis, although the Football Association, Premier League and EFL have agreed to extend the season indefinitely.
The first few months of this season have been disappointing, as Spurs have won only three of their opening 12 Premier League games and are in 14th spot. They were also thrashed 7-2 by Bayern Munich in the Champions League and knocked out of the League Cup by fourth-tier Colchester United.
Fulham's home game against Brighton & Hove Albion on Wednesday has also been pushed behind closed doors, while West Ham United too will host Crystal Palace without spectators on the same day.
Unbeaten Liverpool have 45 points from 17 games with champions Manchester City, who beat Everton 3-1 on Saturday, a point behind.
IMAGES from the EPL matches played on Saturday
A third successive league victory put Leicester City back above Chelsea into third place on goal difference with 23 points from 11 games.
Manchester United's revival came to a disappointing end as Bournemouth forward Joshua King's goal on the stroke of halftime earned a 1-0 victory on a blustery south coast on Saturday.
Liverpool dominated the Premier League last season, winning their first domestic league title for 30 years
Premier League leaders Manchester City won their derby with United 3-1, while Liverpool kept pace with a home win over Fulham.
Liverpool prevailed to equal the record of 18 consecutive top-flight wins set by Manchester City in 2017.
IMAGES from the English Premier League match between Liverpool and Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday
IMAGES from the English Premier League matches played on Saturday
Gabriel Jesus came off the bench to secure Manchester City a 1-0 English Premier League victory at Leicester City after yet another penalty miss by Pep Guardiola's side on Saturday. Chelsea's Olivier Giroud and Marcos Alonso returned to the starting lineup to stunning effect by grabbing a goal apiece in a crucial 2-1 home win over Tottenham Hotspur in the battle between the London rivals for fourth place.
Manchester City thrashed Southampton 6-1 to remain top of the Premier League.
Here are five talking points from the final weekend of the Premier League season:
Following is a match by match look at the English Premier League's weekend fixtures.
'We haven't managed to get ourselves in the top four. We needed other teams to help us out and we needed to help ourselves and we haven't done that'
Here are five talking points from the weekend's Premier League action:
Everton have 36 points from 26 games
After a Champagne Sunday, leaders Chelsea got back to the bread and butter of churning out Premier League points with Eden Hazard's header sealing a 1-0 victory at London rivals West Ham United on Wednesday.
List of trophies won by Liverpool since they were founded in 1892:
The draw pushed Chelsea up a place into fourth spot in the Premier League, level on points with third-placed Spurs and one point ahead of Arsenal, both of whom have a played a game less.
The English Premier League is exploring the use of audio effects and computer generated 'fans', to improve the viewer experience of watching behind closed doors games. The league voted on Monday to allow teams to return to non-contact training in small groups from Tuesday and hopes to be able to clear contact training next week as it steps up 'Project Restart'.
'The death toll in the UK is anything between 33,000 and 38,000. That's filling our stadium and then filling it half again. It's a sobering thought.'
Photos from the Premier League matches played on Sunday
The ball was in play in Burnley's 2-1 win for just 42 minutes and two seconds out of the regulation 90 minutes.
Swansea went ahead five minutes before the break when an attempt to clear by Liverpool's 75 million pounds ($104.88 million) defender Virgil Van Dijk landed at the feet of Mawson who swept the ball home for his sixth league goal this season.
Apex football body FIFA and the International Football Association Board (IFAB), which set the rules, have issued new guidelines ahead of the restart of the Bundesliga.
IMAGES from the English Premier League matches played on Tuesday
City are 16 points behind Liverpool - who have a game in hand - and Guardiola said he could not afford to be distracted
A preview of the line-up action in the English Premier League.
IMAGES from the English Premier League matches played on Sunday
A preview of the line-up action in the English Premier League.
Leaders Chelsea have seen their lead reduced to just three points after a shock defeat, and a revival from defending champions Manchester City. Manchester United are back in third after a run of five straight wins. If Chelsea slip agains, City continue to pile on the pressure and United keep the winning momentum it will make EPL battle further interesting.
'It's not easy to handle a team at a big, big club... always demanding to win competitions and every manager needs time. I have the feeling United started to play the way he wants'
Liverpool beat Leicester City 2-1 to post a fourth successive Premier League victory but conceded their first goal of the season after a nightmare mistake by new keeper Alisson.
Liverpool's livewire Sadio Mane scored one goal and played a crucial part in the other as they reclaimed the Premier League's top spot with a scrappy 2-1 win at second bottom Fulham on Sunday.
Wes Morgan's 90th-minute header earned 10-man Leicester City a 2-1 victory over relegation-threatened Burnley at Turf Moor in the Premier League on Saturday.
IMAGES from the English Premier League match played between Arsenal and Chelsea at Emirates Stadium in London on Sunday.
IMAGES from the English Premier League matches played on Sunday
