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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Sport
Matt Davies

Leicester would never have been champions: The ramifications of voiding a Premier League season at gameweek 29

Last-minute winners, dramatic come-backs, ghost goals, missed penalties - we've seen it all in football.

A game of twists and turns, predictable, but simultaneously entirely unpredictable; we never truly know what's going to happen in the game we love.

But why does that matter? As we all know, the coronavirus outbreak has seen the Premier League suspended until April 3 at the earliest, with a meeting set to take place on Thursday to decide the next move.

Ultimately, the questions we need answering are: Can we complete the current campaign; and if so, when? While we all maintain hope, the unfortunate truth is that this season may already be over as we know it.

That would be bad news for Liverpool, who are just two wins away from confirming themselves as champions. At the other end of the table, everything is still to play for in terms of relegation places.

If the season were to end now, we are left with two scenarios: keep the table as it is, or rule the season null and void.

If the latter option were taken, here are two 'Sliding Doors' moments from previous Premier League seasons to highlight the danger of ending a campaign on gameweek 29...

2014/15

(Getty Images)

At this point of the campaign, Leicester were bottom of the table, albeit with a game in hand. Regardless, they sat rock bottom, six points from safety.

Meanwhile, Hull City - although just three points above the relegation zone - were 15th. Come the end of the season, Leicester finished 14th, with Hull going down.

Had the season been cut short, Leicester would have gone down and never have won the title the following year.

Now bear in mind Aston Villa currently sit in the relegation places. They are 19th, two points from safety - with a game in hand - and Leicester's turnaround would surely be an argument in Villa's favour should they contest ending the season as is.

2017/18

(Getty Images)

Crystal Palace were in the relegation places, while Swansea City were 13th, with just three points separating the teams. Come the end of the campaign, Palace had climbed to 11th in the table, while Swansea found themselves relegated.

To put that into perspective, Bournemouth - who currently sit 18th and in the relegation places - are just two points off Brighton in 15th. A number of teams could go down, and it only takes a short run of form to escape.

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