The much-awaited return of the English Premier League is finally a back and going on well. Fans have been excited that the world’s most-followed soccer league in the world is back to light up the gloom that has been caused by the Coronavirus pandemic. Even though the league has returned without fans gracing the stadium to give electric cheers, it is still exciting because there are numerous talking points as the league enters its final stages. Let us look at the major talking points shaping the return of the Premier League.

The Race for the Premier League Title

Before the season came into a forced break, most of the Premier League team’s had all but given up the title chase to Liverpool. It was no more a question of how but rather when for the Reds. 

After waiting for three decades to lift the trophy, Liverpool finally picked the trophy after Chelsea beat Manchester City. Liverpool are the champions of the 2019/2020 season, picking the title faster than any other team in history! They won with a record margin of 23 points with 7 games remaining.  

• The Golden Boot Race

The Golden Boot is awarded to the top scorer in the English Premier League every single season. As usual, the race for the Golden Boot is competitive, and nothing about that has changed this season. Surprisingly, the race that initially put the likes of Jamie Vardy and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang as clear favorites is now open. Jamie Vardy still leads the way with 19 goals as Mohamed Salah and Aubameyang come in second with 17. Danny Ings and Sergio Aguero close the top 5 with 16 goals each. From this list, it is clear that any of the players can still clinch the Golden Boot award as the EPL comes to a close in the coming weeks. 

• The top Four Race

Playing in the UEFA Champions League is what every top European club is aiming for. While some other leagues have common names easing competition to qualify for the UEFA Champions League, the story is rather different in the EPL. The last matches of the league are akin to a marathon for the teams in the top 6 trying to secure a top-four spot.  

After Liverpool secured the league and the second spot looking cemented by Manchester City, other clubs within the top 6 are left to fight for the third and fourth places. Leicester started the season well, but they have faded off with time. They are just a point better of Chelsea, who are at fourth. Wolves and United are tussling to break into the top four as well.  The return of the UEFA Champions League means Chelsea may play more games if they can reverse a 3 goal deficit against Bayern. Can Manchester United or Wolves topple one of Chelsea and Leicester? Well, with just a few games remaining, it is interesting to see how the top-four race will unfold. 

• The Relegation Battle

The amazing benefits of playing in the English Premier League means that clubs are also keen to avoid being relegated to the Championship. Often, the fight to avoid sinking into the relegation zone gets the shape towards the conclusion of the league. At the moment, Norwich City look unlikely to survive from the relegation snare. Aston Villa, Bournemouth, and West Ham are also on the brink of joining them. Watford are not safe either. They just can’t afford any further dip in form in the closing stages of the season. Again, it is interesting to see how the relegation race pans out as we wind up the season. 

• The UEFA Europa League

The UEFA Europa League is another major European competition that sees clubs across Europe who didn’t manage to grab the UEFA Champions League tussling for another big prize.  UEFA allows EPL, which has some of the most valuable soccer teams, to provide three teams for this competition. The FA Cup winners outside the top five and the fifth-placed team gets automatic qualification. The EFL winners outside the top four get a spot in the qualifier knockout stages. With Man City winning the EFL and the FA Cup is contested by the top four clubs, it could be good news for those who finish 5th, 6th, and 7th.

What makes it even more open is the Manchester City UEFA ban, which means the fifth team will play in the UEFA Champions League if the City’s ban is not lifted. At the moment, Manchester United, Wolves, and Tottenham are favourites to grab these spots if this happens. If Manchester United or Wolves wins the Europa League, the qualifying teams will have to be readjusted again. 

Wrapping up

There is still a lot to come as the 2019/2020 English Premier League season nears its end. There are plenty of hot defining matches in the EPL pipeline you should not afford to miss!