Club-by-club guide
What are the reasons to be optimistic or pessimistic about your team? Which games will define their season? The Telegraph examines each side’s prospects
Arsenal 9th
In five words Desperate for an Arteta revolution
Reason for optimism Arsenal are unbeaten in the league this calendar year. There has been clear progress since Mikel Arteta’s arrival and they won three league games in a row before lockdown. And with Pierre-emerick Aubameyang in attack, they will always carry a threat.
Reason for pessimism The defence remains a source of concern, while key attackers Alexandre Lacazette and Nicolas Pepe have not yet been able to perform at a consistently high level this season. A five-point gap to fifthplaced Manchester United feels more sizeable than bridgeable.
Key player: Pierreemerick Aubameyang So clearly Arsenal’s most important attacking player. His tally of 20 goals this season is twice as big as their next highest scorer, teenage forward Gabriel Martinelli.
Game that will define their season A run of matches against Wolverhampton Wanderers, Leicester City and Tottenham Hotspur – all rivals for European places
– next month feels pivotal in Arsenal’s season. It was at the equivalent stage of last year’s campaign when they really faltered and they cannot afford to do so again.
Aston Villa 19th
In five words Bleak but in their hands
Reason for optimism Six of Villa’s remaining 10 games are at home and Dean Smith’s team have saved many of their better performances for B6. Jack Grealish remains an outstanding match-winner and the return of John Mcginn is timely.
Reason for pessimism Their defensive record is appalling: they have conceded the most goals in
the top division. A lack of firepower could also be an issue for Villa, while many of their remaining games are against high-quality opposition.
Key player: Jack Grealish It can only be him, the talisman who drives on Villa and inspires them to greater heights. He has 10 games to etch his name further into club’s folklore.
Game that will define their season Sheffield United at home today: a win will take them out of the relegation zone and hint at a brighter future, while defeat will do little to silence the doom-mongers.
Brighton and Hove Albion 15th
In five words Nervy after long winless run Reason for optimism Possession-based style and tactical flexibility under Graham Potter could be invaluable in this new footballing reality, when the game is expected to be less intense and each side will be able to make five substitutions. Reason for pessimism Brighton have only scored more than once in a game on one occasion this calendar year, in which they are yet to win in any competition.
Key player: Neal Maupay The Frenchman is their top scorer, with eight goals, but he has only struck once this year. This is his first year in the Premier League and Brighton can only hope the break has allowed him to recharge his batteries.
Game that will define their
season A tough fixture list makes it difficult to see obvious matches they can target. A trip to Norwich represents an opportunity to claim three points, but they will need something from meetings with the big boys. Arsenal are up first.
Bournemouth 18th
In five words Hoping for a hot streak
Reason for optimism The return to fitness of David Brooks, who is yet to play this season, will provide Eddie Howe’s side with more subtlety and creativity in attack. There were signs of progress in their previous two matches, against Chelsea and Liverpool.
Reason for pessimism A run of seven defeats from their past 10 league games explains why Bournemouth begin the restarted campaign in the relegation zone. Their run-in is particularly tough as they have to play four of the league’s current top six and none of their fellow relegation candidates.
Key player: Nathan Ake Still a target for Chelsea, and remains Bournemouth’s most impressive performer at the back. Howe’s side conceded at least two goals in their five matches preceding football’s suspension and will rely on Ake to lead a defence that needs solidifying.
Game that will define their
season They will need points from their home matches, which include visits from Leicester and Tottenham. The first game, against Crystal Palace at the Vitality, could set the tone.
Burnley 10th
In five words Not much to play for
Reason for optimism Sean Dyche’s team are safe from relegation and can play with relative freedom. There is still a chance of qualifying for European competition, but there is traffic ahead of them in the table.
Reason for pessimism The season could fizzle out in mid-table. There are players with expiring contracts such as Phil Bardsley, Jeff Hendrick and Aaron Lennon, and it is uncertain how this will affect their form.
Key player: Dwight Mcneil The attacking midfielder can turn matches. He makes mature choices on the ball and has attracted interest from rival clubs while being touted as a future England international.
Game that will define their season Their first game back, against Manchester City at the Etihad, gives them the opportunity to build momentum for a European push. Getting a result there would send a message out about their intentions.
Chelsea 4th
In five words Lots still to play for
Reason for optimism Back-to-back victories against Liverpool in the FA Cup and Everton in the Premier League looked to have set up Frank Lampard’s team perfectly for the run-in, before lockdown struck. The form of 19-yearold midfielder Billy Gilmour in those two matches was also a huge plus.
Reason for pessimism Chelsea still have some very tough fixtures ahead and it is unknown whether or not the young players will cope with the pressure of trying to qualify for the Champions League and win the FA Cup.
Key player: Tammy Abraham Chelsea need him to keep scoring to keep the chasing pack at bay.
Game that will define their season Aston Villa away. Chelsea’s first game back will give a huge indicator as to whether or not they can quickly click back into gear. A victory would set them up perfectly.
Everton 12th
In five words Going through a transitional phase
Reason for optimism Carlo Ancelotti is the manager. Lockdown has given him a chance to assess the squad and consider his long-term plans, studying future opponents and identifying where he can collect the extra 25 or 30 points a season that will make a difference.
Reason for pessimism Ancelotti was looking forward to the summer transfer window. The financial situation, which has prompted the club to defer staff wages, will shape the market. They have suffered several injuries, notably Yerry Mina and Theo Walcott. Jean-philippe Gbamin’s Everton career has never had a chance to start.
Key player: Richarlison Linked with Barcelona in January, which seemed a tad premature and followed a recent contract extension. Still more potential than finished product, but a thrilling talent.
Game that will define their season Winning the Merseyside derby would bring momentum.
Crystal Palace 11th
In five words Roy Hodgson keeps teams up
Reason for optimism Palace will restart on 39 points, which is their best total from 29 games in the Premier League.
Reason for pessimism It is a good job Palace do not have to worry about relegation. They have an
intimidating fixture list and will no longer have the backing of their noisy home support, which has been so crucial over recent seasons.
Key player: Vicente Guaita Defence is Palace’s best form of attack and the goalkeeper has been in great form.
Game that will define their season One more victory should be enough to calm any lingering nerves and Burnley at home on June 29 looks like a great opportunity to secure that.
Leicester 3rd
In five words Champions League is in sight
Reason for optimism Apart from a few blips in January and February, this has been an outstanding first full season for Brendan Rodgers at Leicester. They have been exhilarating to watch, full of verve and vigour, and thoroughly deserve to be in third place.
Reason for pessimism There is little to fear in the games ahead, but the vast importance of certain individuals such as Jamie Vardy and Wilfred
Ndidi cannot be overestimated. Losing either of them to injury would be a huge blow, even at this late stage.
Key player: Wilfred Ndidi Vardy is the top scorer with 19 goals and on course for his first Golden Boot, but the statistics reveal Ndidi is the glue who holds Leicester together. Without the Nigerian midfielder offering the back four protection, Leicester can look a different team.
Game that will define their season The FA Cup quarter-final at home to Chelsea is a hugely significant encounter as Leicester pursue their ambition of reaching a major final.
Liverpool 1st
In five words On the brink of history
Reason for optimism The chasing pack requires radical improvement and serious decline from Jurgen Klopp’s team to catch them even next season. There is no reason to presume Anfield standards will slip. Manchester City will fight back, Chelsea are spending big and Manchester United believe they are getting closer. But can anyone see beyond Liverpool or City in 2020-21? The last few games of this season may be good preparation for next term.
Reason for pessimism Before lockdown, everything at Anfield was geared towards improving the squad. Klopp made no major signings last summer, but there were plans afoot for this year. Now ambitious ideas once considered challenging are impossible. Will this halt progress? Liverpool’s squad is young and strong enough to maintain its level, but while last year’s transfer decisions were taken through choice, this summer’s are through compulsion.
Key player: Virgil van Dijk When you read about the last 30 years of Liverpool, and why they did not win the title, there will be many
references to the great strikers and midfielders they have had, all of whom should have been title winners. They had many superb defenders, too, but none like Van Dijk, their most influential centre-back since Alan Hansen.
Game that will define their
season Klopp’s side require two wins for the title. That means the home game with Crystal Palace could secure the Premier League. But that is a fluid situation, and fate may yet determine an alternative ending. The trip to the Etihad Stadium, where Liverpool could officially depose last year’s champions, may bring a certain poignancy.
Manchester City 2nd
In five words Last shot at European glory?
Reason for optimism City look as good a bet as anyone to win the Champions League, especially now Aymeric Laporte and Leroy Sane will be fully recovered from injuries and ageing, but key personnel such as Fernandinho, David Silva and Sergio Aguero have had a long rest.
Reason for pessimism If the Court of Arbitration for Sport upholds City’s
two-season European ban, it could mark the start of the break-up of Pep Guardiola’s record-breaking side, and increase the likelihood of the manager’s departure next summer when his contract expires.
Key player: Kevin De Bruyne No one should underestimate the importance of Laporte, or even the return of Sane and the extra dimension his pace and
dribbling ability will bring to the attack, but City’s European hopes will hinge heavily on the Belgium midfielder maintaining his best form.
Game that will define their season Domestically, victory over runaway leaders Liverpool will have no bearing on the title race – but it could provide a useful psychological lift in Europe, especially with the ties now expected to be one-match affairs.
Manchester United 5th
In five words A team on the march
Reason for optimism Marcus Rashford and Paul Pogba are both back from long-term injuries, the fixture list is favourable and so many players had found form and confidence within a more progressive system before lockdown.
Reason for pessimism The pressure to return to the Champions League is acute and there will be little margin for error in their first two, testing games back, against Tottenham Hotspur and Sheffield United. And can Pogba put questions over his future aside for the good of the team?
Key player: Bruno Fernandes An obvious pick for obvious reasons. The Portugal playmaker had a
transformative effect on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side in the six weeks before football was shut down and if he can pick up where he left off United will be a threat to anyone.
Game that will define their season It is impossible to look beyond Tottenham next Friday. Winning that, playing the sort of football they were before the lockdown, would send out a statement that United mean business.
Newcastle United 13th
In five words Trapped in a takeover limbo
Reason for optimism The FA Cup quarter-final against Manchester City is something to look forward to and they should stay clear of the relegation battle with an eight-point gap between themselves and the bottom three. Steve Bruce has done a really good job as manager.
Reason for pessimism The club are not out of danger yet and the players and manager do not know what the future holds for them with a takeover still hanging over everyone.
Key player: Allan Saintmaximin One of the best signings of the season.
Game that will define their season Cup quarterfinal is key for a fan base desperate to win a trophy.
Norwich City 20th
In five words In desperate need of miracles
Reason for optimism They have improved, a young team growing with experience. They are more streetwise, make fewer mistakes and are led by a bright manager in Daniel Farke who has not been too welded to his “philosophy” and has changed the team for the better.
Reason for pessimism Although the gap between the Premier League’s bottom team and safety has been reduced to six points, that is still two wins just to pull level. Norwich have only won seven league games all season.
Key player: Todd Cantwell There is a lot to like about this skilful wide player, and he is only 22.
Game that will define their season The first one of the restart, at home to Southampton on Friday, is crucial. Lose that and survival hopes will be all but extinguished.
Sheffield United 7th
In five words On the verge of glory
Reason for optimism They have a game in hand and the spirit in the squad is unlikely to be broken by lockdown. Chris Wilder’s team may have been tiring before the break, but will now be fresh in their quest for European qualification.
Reason for pessimism Opposition analysts have just had three months to work out how to combat their overlapping full-backs. There will be no element of surprise any more.
Key Player: Oliver Norwood He sets the pace of the game as a deep-lying midfielder and that will be important when it gets hotter and Sheffield United may need to slow matches down.
Game that will define their
season The trip to Old Trafford will see them face a direct rival for a European qualification place, and they will be without their influential goalkeeper Dean Henderson, on loan from Manchester United, for the June 24 fixture. And let us not forget an FA Cup quarter-final with Arsenal.
Tottenham Hotspur 8th
In five words Lucky to have another chance
Reason for optimism Tottenham have been described as the “winners” of the shutdown, as Harry Kane, Son Heung-min, Moussa Sissoko and Steven Bergwijn will return from injury. Jose Mourinho, the head coach, feared all four players might not play again this season, so having them available is a huge boost.
Reason for pessimism Before the lockdown, Spurs had not won in six games in all competitions and had been eliminated from the FA Cup and the Champions League. It had been a disastrous season, that included the departure of previous manager Mauricio Pochettino, and there were few signs that their fortune was about to change.
Key player: Harry Kane It is maybe asking too much for the striker to fire Spurs back into the top four after almost six months out, but Mourinho will need the England captain to hit the ground running to stand any chance.
Game that will define
their season A victory over Manchester United in their first game back would set Tottenham up to make a strong run, but a defeat may leave them too far behind after just one game of the restart.
Southampton 14th In five words Pre-leicester and post-leicester
Reason for optimism Stalled slightly just before the Premier League was suspended, but one of the most in-form teams since the 9-0 horror show against Leicester City in October.
Their internal unity was also evident when they became the first squad to defer some of their wages to safeguard the jobs of club staff.
Reason for pessimism There is uncertainty over the future of captain Pierre-emile Hojbjerg, who is out of contract next year and has indicated a desire to leave. Southampton have had disruption with previously restless captains in Jose Fonte and Virgil van Dijk, even if the current situation appears unlikely to have a significant impact on the next few months.
Key player: Danny Ings With 15 league goals, Ings’s importance is magnified in a team which lacks another consistent goalscorer.
Game that will define their
season The penultimate match of the season is a trip to Bournemouth. Their rivals are precariously positioned and their fate could hinge on this match.
Watford 17th
In five words Home form will be crucial
Reason for optimism The 3-0 victory over Liverpool at Vicarage Road underlined the quality in this Watford team. The key will be showing it on a consistent basis, something they have struggled with all season. Nigel Pearson knows what is required.
Reason for pessimism It said plenty about Watford’s struggles this season that they followed up that victory against
Liverpool with a defeat by Crystal Palace. The loss of Gerard Deulofeu to a serious injury will not help their cause.
Key player: Ismaila Sarr Has shown glimpses of his potential, particularly since the turn of the year. In the absence of Deulofeu, he will need to be at his devastating best if Watford are to surge clear of the relegation zone.
Game that will define their season A trip to West Ham United could be pivotal in the relegation battle, but it is the home games against Norwich and Newcastle that look like must-wins.
West Ham United 16th
In five words Problems for Sullivan, Gold, Brady
Reason for optimism Jarrod Bowen’s signing from Hull City looked to have breathed some life into West Ham’s season. Despite losing three of their four games – against tough opposition – before the shutdown, they had been improving.
Reason for pessimism The appointment of David Moyes had not produced the turnaround in results the West Ham board had hoped for and many of the club’s existing players know the Scotsman will try to move them on.
Key player: Jarrod Bowen The January signing had provided West Ham with the impetus they had been looking for and if he can start quickly again, he could prove to be the difference in their fight for survival.
Game that will define their season West Ham will be hoping their final-day game against Aston Villa does not prove to be a relegation decider. It could be huge.
Wolves 6th
In five words Dark horses for top four
Reason for optimism Wolves’ progress under Nuno Espirito Santo has been a magic-carpet ride and this season could yet end with more success. They are only five points behind fourth-placed Chelsea and are in the last 16 of the Europa League, having drawn away to Olympiacos in the first leg before football shut down. They have a squad the envy of far richer clubs.
Reason for pessimism Nuno has only one year left on his contract and, while both head coach and club are relaxed about the situation, Wolves fans will remain quietly concerned while his reputation continues to improve.
Key player: Raul Jimenez Quite simply one of the best forwards operating in Europe, Jimenez’s goals have been crucial this season. If he continues in the same vein, Wolves could be heading for the Champions League.
Game that will define their season Away at Chelsea on the last day could be a straight shoot-out for a top-four place while the home game against Arsenal on July 4 looks significant.