For football fans and professional players alike, the COVID-19 pandemic has taken away glorious match days over weekends (and sometimes weekdays) full of fun, fantasy, and excitement. Most major leagues in Europe have been suspended until further notice, and there have even been calls for the current season to be declared null and void.
To somewhat fill that void, the organisers of the English Premier League organised a virtual tournament involving all 20 EPL teams. Famous fans—and even players themselves—took part in the tournament, which was held on the official FIFA 20 title from EA Sports.
The ePremier League Invitational has just been concluded, with Wolverhampton Wanderers forward Diego Jota beating Trent Alexander-Arnold of Liverpool with a Golden Goal in the final of the tournament. The final originally ended in a 1-1 draw, with a second match decided by a Golden Goal.
Most of the representatives from the 20 teams were made up of actual EPL football players, with notable names including Todd Cantwell from Norwich, Moussa Sissoko of Spurs, and Man City’s Raheem Sterling. The Wolves forward scored 13 goals en route to the final, defeating Leicester City, Sheffield United, and Burnley before facing off against Liverpool (and Alexander-Arnold) in the final.
It’s worth remembering that the ePremier League Invitational is a tournament that doesn’t actually have any effect on actual Premier League standings. Instead, it offers players and fans a way to pass the time, as well as a distraction from the global pandemic. The prize fund has been donated to the #PlayersTogether initiative to help support the National Health Service (NHS) in the UK, and to distribute funds to those who need it most.
In the (real-life) Premier League, Liverpool Football Club currently sits atop the 20-man league table, 25 points ahead of 2nd-placed Manchester City. The league title is all-but-confirmed, although the league’s hiatus has put that all in doubt. Organisers are exploring alternative methods to end the season, but if the 2019/2020 season is declared null and void, Liverpool will not win the league title this year.
And with fans of the Merseyside club waiting for a first league title in 30 years, it appears that Liverpool FC will have to wait a little longer for a Premier League title—virtual or otherwise.
