Premier League Expected to Continue Despite Impending Second UK Lockdown

The Premier League endured a three-month hiatus following the initial lockdown in March | Visionhaus/Getty Images

The Premier League is expected to continue as normal despite the news of fresh national restrictions being introduced in a bid to thwart the second wave of coronavirus.

English football, like the majority of leagues around the globe, endured a three-month hiatus earlier this year as the pandemic swept the planet. Mikel Arteta's positive test proved the final straw as his Arsenal side prepared to face Manchester City back in March.
Leicester's 4-0 victory over Aston Villa on 9 March was the last bit of Premier League action until June 17 | Visionhaus/Getty Images

The return in the summer did prove successful, however, as Liverpool went on to claim their maiden Premier League title with players regularly tested.

Thus, The Athletic reports that the English top-flight is unlikely to be impacted in the near future by the second national lockdown, which is expected to be introduced in the coming days.

The source has been told by three 'well-placed MPs' they have no reason to fear any imminent changes to the Premier League and there's a confidence that nothing is likely to change despite the unpredictability and rising threat of the current situation.

"The virus doesn’t spread well in outdoor settings and the close contact time in sports like football is very short," said one MP.

"The Department for Culture, Media and Sport seem keen to keep outdoor sport going at all levels."
The Premier League's efficient testing system should allow football to continue behind closed doors | Clive Brunskill/Getty Images

The Premier League are said to believe that their current sophisticated testing system will allow football to continue behind closed doors, with players being able to isolate swiftly and efficiently should they test positive for the virus.

However, the second wave means that the idea of fans returning to stadiums is one that'll be pushed back "to the new year, at least", as one MP put it.

With some fans initially re-entering grounds to start the Bundesliga, Ligue 1 and Serie A campaigns, there'd been hope in the UK for something similar playing out from October 1, but that proved impossible with the situation only worsening.