The Premier League will experience a special day today. After 270 days without an audience in the stadiums, West Ham-Manchester United will be the first match with fans in the stands, albeit a limited number of 2,000 at the London Stadium, since Leicester-Aston Villa on 9 March . That was the last match before the English championship was suspended due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The 2019-2020 Premier resumed on June 19 and ended on July 26, but the access of fans was not allowed nor in the current edition that started on September 12, despite the fact that on August 29 the Amex Stadium hosted to 2,500 spectators in the friendly Brighton-Chelsea, which served as test for a return of the public that has been delayed.
End of confinement and vaccinations next week
On Tuesday the Government of Boris Johnson lifted the confinement of a month in England to stop the spread of Covid-19 in the second wave of the pandemic and, on the eve of the next week that the vaccine begins to be administered among the population of the country, allows the return of fans to stadiums nine months later.
Already on Wednesday in Second, Third and Fourth Division
On Wednesday several Second, Third and Fourth Division matches were already played with the public and on Thursday Arsenal was the first Premier team to once again have the support of 2,000 fans at Emirates in their Europa League match against Rapid de Vienna (4-1).
The first major league to reopen stadiums
Today the Premier becomes the first major European league to allow the return of fans. According to the British Government, the maximum number of spectators who can attend the matches is 4,000 in the areas with the lowest contagion rate (level 1), the influx is reduced to 2,000 in cities at level 2 and the public is prohibited at level 2. 3 .
The 10 teams with permission
Liverpool, West Ham, Tottenham, Chelsea, Arsenal, Everton, Brighton, Crystal Palace, Fulham and Southampton are the 10 teams that are at level 2 and will therefore play with 2,000 fans in the stands, such as Chelsea-Leeds today and tomorrow the Tottenham-Arsenal and Liverpool-Wolves derby.
The 10 teams without permission
The other 10 participants in the Premier (Manchester United, Manchester City, Leicester, Wolves, Burnley, Aston Villa, Newcastle, Leeds, West Brom and Sheffield United) will not be able to do so because they are in cities with level 3 contagion ratio. There are none at level 1.
With mask and without hugs
The Premier League agreed on the protocol that fans will follow on Thursday. Although their use outside is not required, they should wear a mask and try not to hug each other when they celebrate a goal. Those fans who live in the same house will be able to sit together and the rest will sit following a social distancing plan. Although there is no formal ban on singing and yelling, they are encouraged to moderate their behavior. Finally, they must gradually leave their seats at the end of the game.
The Gracenote company has compared the 288 games of last season that were played with an audience in the Premier and the 190 played since June until now without fans. The conclusion is that the percentage of victories of the teams that play at home has decreased from 44.8% to 41.6% and the wins away from 30.2% to 37.9%. Visiting teams score 12% more goals, receive more direct fouls in favor and see 27% fewer yellow cards.
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