What you need to know about the Premier League's return

FC Yahoo's Ryan Bailey breaks down all the key facts on the league's return to the pitch this week.

Video transcript

RYAN BAILEY: The Premier League is back. Here's everything you need to know.

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Ryan Bailey of "Yahoo Sports." A little over 100 days since the last Premier League ball was kicked, England's top flight is making its return. There's 92 games left to play of the 2019-20 season, which is roughly a quarter of the season. So where do we pick up with the action? Liverpool have a 25-point lead and need only 6 points to guarantee their first title in 30 years. They could win it as soon as the Merseyside Derby this coming weekend or against Crystal Palace at Anfield next Wednesday.

There may not be much of a title race, but there's plenty going on elsewhere. If Man City's Champion's League ban is upheld, 5th place will be good for the Champions League, while Sheffield United and Wolves will be in contention for the Europa League. Tottenham and Arsenal, currently in 8th and 9th places, put them narrowly outside the European spot as it stands. At the other end of the table, six teams are in a tense relegation dogfight. Even bottom-placed Norwich may only be 2 wins away from climbing to safety.

So how is it going to work practically speaking? Well, there'll be no fans at any stadiums, and players and staff will be regularly tested. 1,200 tests were administered last week, with only two positive cases detected among players. On match days, teams will be allowed nine subs on the bench. That's up from seven. And they can make five substitutions. Although the clock is only going to stop for three of them during regular time.

There'll be drinks breaks in each half to combat the July heat. And there'll also be no ball boys. Sterilized balls will apparently be strategically placed on cones around the field. There'll also be no touching allowed during celebrations. We'll see how that goes. Interestingly, unlike in the Bundesliga, players and staff in the stadium won't be required to wear face masks. Unless there's any COVID-19-related setbacks, the action will all be squeezed into five weeks, and will conclude by the end of July, with the FIA Cup final taking place on August 1. The 2021 season won't start until mid-September.

In the US, you'll be able to watch all the games on NBC'S channels, although a few smaller market matches from each round will be behind the paywall on NBC Sports Gold or their new Peacock service. For more on the beautiful game, follow "FCYahoo" on your favorite social channels, and stay up to date on "Yahoo Sports." Love to your mothers, see you next time.