That clash is followed by Manchester City against Arsenal. If the north Londoners win at City, then Liverpool will be able to claim their first top flight title in 30 years with victory at Merseyside rivals Everton on Sunday night.
When the British government ordered a lockdown as part of its effort to stem the spread of the coronavirus, Liverpool had amassed 82 points from their 28 games.
Manchester City were a distant second with 57 points having played one game more.
During the suspension, City started an appeal against a two-year ban from European football after the continent’s governing body, Uefa, found the club guilty of breaching its rules on financing.
If the Court of Arbitration for Sport upholds Uefa’s decision and City finish in the top four places in the Premier League, Pep Guardiola’s side will miss out on next season’s Uefa Champions League.
However, they will be allowed to continue in the current tournament. Guardiola’s men have a 2-1 advantage over Real Madrid going into the second leg of their last-16 tie.
Resumption
By the time that return leg is played, Madrid will have had a few more games than City to get back into the groove.
The Spanish league was the third European championship to emerge from the lockdown after the German Bundesliga and Portugal’s Primeira Liga. All three championships have returned with strict health protocols including the absence of fans in the stadium.
Premier League bosses urged the importance of supporters staying away from grounds on the league's social media account.
As kick off approaches, remember, we can all play our part by supporting our clubs from home 🏡#WeAreOneTeam pic.twitter.com/qrtzOgzYRJ
— Premier League (@premierleague) June 17, 2020
"It was a little bit weird watching the games in Germany and Spain without fans," said Guardiola. "When you play at home you have that extra intensity and passion from the crowd. That is not going to happen.
"But when the players were little kids they played in the streets without spectators and they played good. That is what they have to do. It is a football game. Try to follow what they know."
With the title race effectively concluded, it is the battle for Champions League berths as well as relegation that provides the intrigue in England over the next 10 games.
Third-placed Leicester City boast 53 points and have muscled themselves into pole position to advance to the competition while fourth-placed Chelsea on 48 points face a battle Manchester United, Wolverhampton Wanders and Sheffield United.
Relegation strife
At the other end of the table, Norwich City, who are bottom with 21 points, appear doomed to life in the second tier Championship. Brighton, West Ham, Watford and Bournemouth are in the tussle to avoid the drop with them.
As part of the attempt to to inject ambiance into the stadiums, crowd chants will be piped into stadiums. There will also be cardboard cut-outs of supporters as well as live video fan walls.
Players have been told to maintain social-distancing during goal celebrations and encouraged not to spit.
