The dates for the Premier League 2021-22 season have been revealed. The new season of the English top-flight will commence on August 12, 2021, with the final game-week scheduled to be played on May 22, 2022.&nbsp;

Going back to the old routine, the Premier League has kept the start date flexible with the option of a Friday night match on August 13. However, every&nbsp;match&nbsp;in the final round of fixtures will start on May 22, 2022.&nbsp;

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Following a hectic 2020-21 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic - which witnessed the start of the ongoing season pushed back until September 2020 – the confirmed dates suggest a return to the traditional August-May season schedule.&nbsp;

An earlier start for Premier League 2021-22 season was discussed but clubs were against the proposal due to the short gap between the upcoming Euro 2020 – the final of which will take place on July 11, 2021.&nbsp;&nbsp;

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Premier League players and managers have complained about the hectic schedule and how players don't get enough time to recover in between matches. The year 2021 was supposed to be hectic due to the less pre-season preparation and gaps between matches that were postponed due to the virus.&nbsp;&nbsp;

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The dates for the Premier League 2021-22 season have been revealed. The new season of the English top-flight will commence on August 12, 2021, with the final game-week scheduled to be played on May 22, 2022.

The dates for the Premier League 2021-22 season have been revealed. The new season of the English top-flight will commence on August 12, 2021, with the final game-week scheduled to be played on May 22, 2022. Going back to the old routine, the Premier League has kept the start date flexible with the option of a Friday night match on August 13. However, every match in the final round of fixtures will start on May 22, 2022. ALSO READ: Neymar joins 'Fortnite' as video game universe expands Following a hectic 2020-21 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic - which witnessed the start of the ongoing season pushed back until September 2020 – the confirmed dates suggest a return to the traditional August-May season schedule. An earlier start for Premier League 2021-22 season was discussed but clubs were against the proposal due to the short gap between the upcoming Euro 2020 – the final of which will take place on July 11, 2021. ALSO READ: Netherlands beaten by Turkey, France held by Ukraine in World Cup qualifiers Premier League players and managers have complained about the hectic schedule and how players don't get enough time to recover in between matches. The year 2021 was supposed to be hectic due to the less pre-season preparation and gaps between matches that were postponed due to the virus.

Premier League reveals start date for 2021-22 season

The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/premier-league">Premier League</a> finally makes its long-awaited return on June 17 following a three-month coronavirus lockdown.

The landscape has changed since March -- clubs have welcomed back injured players, others have had a chance to regroup and Liverpool have had to come to terms with a low-key title celebration.

AFP Sport looks at the winners and losers as teams emerge from the lockdown.

<h2>Healed stars boost Spurs, Man Utd</h2>

When we last saw Jose Mourinho, the Tottenham manager cut a despondent figure as he admitted he wished he could fast-forward to next season.

At the time, injury-hit Tottenham were on a six-match winless run that saw them knocked out of the Champions League and FA Cup, while falling seven points adrift of the top four.

However, no boss has benefited more from the three-month break than Mourinho and eighth-placed Tottenham will return rejuvenated after Harry Kane, Son Heung-min, Steven Bergwijn, Erik Lamela and Moussa Sissoko regained their fitness.

That should be the ideal boost for the race to qualify for the Champions League, especially with a crucial first game of the restart against top-four rivals Manchester United.

United, four points above Tottenham in fifth place, were frustrated when the season ground to a halt.

Inspired by influential January signing Bruno Fernandes, they were riding the momentum of an 11-game unbeaten run in all competitions dating back to January.

Crucially, the return of injured England forward Marcus Rashford and France midfielder Paul Pogba promises to add pep to their step at just the right time, with the Tottenham showdown followed by another vital fixture against seventh-placed Sheffield United.

<h2>Relegation rivals scrap for survival</h2>

With dire warnings over the long-term financial health of football ringing in their ears, clubs embroiled in the relegation dogfight have been focused on self-preservation.

Feuding over how to decide the season in the event it has to be abandoned, complaining about potentially playing at neutral venues and arguing that the season was restarting too soon have all been public relations own goals from clubs most in danger of going down.

Brighton will be under immense pressure to perform, having argued so vocally against neutral venues.&nbsp;

Without a win in 2020, they are just two points above the relegation zone and have games against Arsenal, Manchester United, Liverpool and Manchester City to come.

Watford, out of the bottom three by virtue of goal difference, were also vocal critics of the neutral venue proposal.&nbsp;

The Hornets would fall into the relegation zone if Aston Villa won their game in hand, but favourable home matches against Southampton, Norwich and Newcastle offer hope of beating the drop.

Second-bottom Villa, who have suffered four straight league defeats, have had a chance to regroup at a time when they were in danger of collapsing.

Third-bottom Bournemouth, winless in four matches, will also hope the break provides a springboard to survival.

<h2>Liverpool's title anti-climax</h2>

Instead of jubilant supporters hailing their heroes for ending Liverpool's 30-year wait to be crowned English champions, the Reds' impending title triumph in an empty stadium is likely to feel anti-climactic.

Jurgen Klopp's side are 25 points clear at the top and need a maximum of two wins from their remaining nine games to seal a 19th English title in emphatic fashion.

The trophy could be theirs as soon as June 21 if second-placed Manchester City lose to Arsenal and Liverpool beat Merseyside rivals Everton.

But with the rest of the season to be played behind closed doors, the mood around the club has gone slightly flat.

The prospect of Liverpool having to delay their parade through the city with the trophy until next year due to social-distancing rules is another blow.

No wonder former Arsenal striker Alan Smith, who famously won the title at Anfield with the Gunners on the last day of the 1988/89 season, said: "If Liverpool do eventually get crowned, it's going to prove a massive anti-climax.

"I can't help but feel sorry for Sadio Mane, Mo Salah, Virgil van Dijk and all who deserve every plaudit going for a magnificent effort."

The Premier League finally makes its long-awaited return on June 17 following a three-month coronavirus lockdown. The landscape has changed since March -- clubs have welcomed back injured players, others have had a chance to regroup and Liverpool have had to come to terms with a low-key title celebration.

The Premier League finally makes its long-awaited return on June 17 following a three-month coronavirus lockdown. The landscape has changed since March -- clubs have welcomed back injured players, others have had a chance to regroup and Liverpool have had to come to terms with a low-key title celebration. AFP Sport looks at the winners and losers as teams emerge from the lockdown. Healed stars boost Spurs, Man Utd When we last saw Jose Mourinho, the Tottenham manager cut a despondent figure as he admitted he wished he could fast-forward to next season. At the time, injury-hit Tottenham were on a six-match winless run that saw them knocked out of the Champions League and FA Cup, while falling seven points adrift of the top four. However, no boss has benefited more from the three-month break than Mourinho and eighth-placed Tottenham will return rejuvenated after Harry Kane, Son Heung-min, Steven Bergwijn, Erik Lamela and Moussa Sissoko regained their fitness. That should be the ideal boost for the race to qualify for the Champions League, especially with a crucial first game of the restart against top-four rivals Manchester United. United, four points above Tottenham in fifth place, were frustrated when the season ground to a halt. Inspired by influential January signing Bruno Fernandes, they were riding the momentum of an 11-game unbeaten run in all competitions dating back to January. Crucially, the return of injured England forward Marcus Rashford and France midfielder Paul Pogba promises to add pep to their step at just the right time, with the Tottenham showdown followed by another vital fixture against seventh-placed Sheffield United. Relegation rivals scrap for survival With dire warnings over the long-term financial health of football ringing in their ears, clubs embroiled in the relegation dogfight have been focused on self-preservation. Feuding over how to decide the season in the event it has to be abandoned, complaining about potentially playing at neutral venues and arguing that the season was restarting too soon have all been public relations own goals from clubs most in danger of going down. Brighton will be under immense pressure to perform, having argued so vocally against neutral venues. Without a win in 2020, they are just two points above the relegation zone and have games against Arsenal, Manchester United, Liverpool and Manchester City to come. Watford, out of the bottom three by virtue of goal difference, were also vocal critics of the neutral venue proposal. The Hornets would fall into the relegation zone if Aston Villa won their game in hand, but favourable home matches against Southampton, Norwich and Newcastle offer hope of beating the drop. Second-bottom Villa, who have suffered four straight league defeats, have had a chance to regroup at a time when they were in danger of collapsing. Third-bottom Bournemouth, winless in four matches, will also hope the break provides a springboard to survival. Liverpool's title anti-climax Instead of jubilant supporters hailing their heroes for ending Liverpool's 30-year wait to be crowned English champions, the Reds' impending title triumph in an empty stadium is likely to feel anti-climactic. Jurgen Klopp's side are 25 points clear at the top and need a maximum of two wins from their remaining nine games to seal a 19th English title in emphatic fashion. The trophy could be theirs as soon as June 21 if second-placed Manchester City lose to Arsenal and Liverpool beat Merseyside rivals Everton. But with the rest of the season to be played behind closed doors, the mood around the club has gone slightly flat. The prospect of Liverpool having to delay their parade through the city with the trophy until next year due to social-distancing rules is another blow. No wonder former Arsenal striker Alan Smith, who famously won the title at Anfield with the Gunners on the last day of the 1988/89 season, said: "If Liverpool do eventually get crowned, it's going to prove a massive anti-climax. "I can't help but feel sorry for Sadio Mane, Mo Salah, Virgil van Dijk and all who deserve every plaudit going for a magnificent effort."

Premier League lockdown: winners and losers

Premier League clubs will ask players to take a combination of pay cuts and deferrals amounting to 30 percent of their salary due to the financial crisis caused by coronavirus, the league said in a statement on Friday.

The league's highly-paid players have come under increasing pressure to take pay cuts from government officials in recent days.

"Premier League clubs unanimously agreed to consult their players regarding a combination of conditional reductions and deferrals amounting to 30 per cent of total annual remuneration," the Premier League said in a statement.

The Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) will meet with league and club officials to discuss the proposal on Saturday.

A meeting between the 20 English top-flight clubs also agreed to indefinitely extend the suspension of the season until it is "safe and appropriate" for football to return.

The clubs are desperate for the season to be finished if possible to avoid the potential of having to reimburse broadcasters a reported £760 million ($942 million) if they fail to fulfil fixtures for television contracts.

However, despite reports of creative ways to finish the campaign with matches behind closed doors and players quarantined in World Cup style training camps, the clubs insist they will follow government advice on when it is safe for matches to return.

"Any return to play&nbsp;will only be with the full support of&nbsp;government and when medical guidance allows," the statement added.

Despite their own financial troubles, Premier League clubs agreed to provide a £125 million fund for the English Football League and National League to help those further down the football pyramid and a £20 million charitable donation to help those affected by coronavirus.

Premier League clubs will ask players to take a combination of pay cuts and deferrals amounting to 30 percent of their salary due to the financial crisis caused by coronavirus, the league said in a statement on Friday.

Premier League clubs will ask players to take a combination of pay cuts and deferrals amounting to 30 percent of their salary due to the financial crisis caused by coronavirus, the league said in a statement on Friday. The league's highly-paid players have come under increasing pressure to take pay cuts from government officials in recent days. "Premier League clubs unanimously agreed to consult their players regarding a combination of conditional reductions and deferrals amounting to 30 per cent of total annual remuneration," the Premier League said in a statement. The Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) will meet with league and club officials to discuss the proposal on Saturday. A meeting between the 20 English top-flight clubs also agreed to indefinitely extend the suspension of the season until it is "safe and appropriate" for football to return. The clubs are desperate for the season to be finished if possible to avoid the potential of having to reimburse broadcasters a reported £760 million ($942 million) if they fail to fulfil fixtures for television contracts. However, despite reports of creative ways to finish the campaign with matches behind closed doors and players quarantined in World Cup style training camps, the clubs insist they will follow government advice on when it is safe for matches to return. "Any return to play will only be with the full support of government and when medical guidance allows," the statement added. Despite their own financial troubles, Premier League clubs agreed to provide a £125 million fund for the English Football League and National League to help those further down the football pyramid and a £20 million charitable donation to help those affected by coronavirus.

Premier League clubs lobby players to take 30 percent pay hit

England's Premier League, Professional Footballers' Association and Football League are steadying themselves for some "difficult decisions" amid the coronavirus outbreak as they try to see if there is a way of restarting the season.

 
The three organisations all met on Friday to examine the financial impact of suspending the season, with Britain as a whole in a state of lockdown.

 
"The Premier League, EFL and PFA met today and discussed the growing seriousness of the COVID-19 pandemic," they said in a joint statement.

 
"It was stressed that the thoughts of all three organisations continue to be with everyone affected by the virus.

 
"The Premier League, EFL and PFA agreed that difficult decisions will have to be taken in order to mitigate the economic impact of the current suspension of professional football in England and agreed to work together to arrive at shared solutions."

 
Some clubs have asked players to defer up to half their wages, while players at Championship leaders Leeds, pushing for promotion to the lucrative Premier League, have volunteered for a wage deferral.

 
The governing bodies are set for more talks next week as they try to draw up a unified plan.

 
Last week saw the projected restart of the season pushed &nbsp;back until April 30, and that date has not moved.

 
"The leagues will not recommence until April 30 at the earliest. They will only do so when it is safe and conditions allow," added the statement.

 
"Further meetings will take place next week with a view to formulating a joint plan to deal with the difficult circumstances facing the leagues, their clubs, players, staff and fans."

 
Meanwhile a spokesperson for the Football Association insisted they had no regrets about their announcement earlier this week that saw a host of lower division leagues declared null and void because of the coronavirus outbreak.&nbsp;

 
"The decision taken to end the 2019/20 season across Steps 3-7 of the National League System, the women's football pyramid and the wider grassroots game was made by committee representatives for the respective leagues, and was supported by the FA Board and the FA Women's Board," the spokesperson said.

 
"It will now go to the FA Council for ratification. We fully support the decision they came to during these challenging and unprecedented circumstances for English football."

England's Premier League, Professional Footballers' Association and Football League are steadying themselves for some "difficult decisions" amid the coronavirus outbreak as they try to see if there is a way of restarting the season.

England's Premier League, Professional Footballers' Association and Football League are steadying themselves for some "difficult decisions" amid the coronavirus outbreak as they try to see if there is a way of restarting the season. The three organisations all met on Friday to examine the financial impact of suspending the season, with Britain as a whole in a state of lockdown. "The Premier League, EFL and PFA met today and discussed the growing seriousness of the COVID-19 pandemic," they said in a joint statement. "It was stressed that the thoughts of all three organisations continue to be with everyone affected by the virus. "The Premier League, EFL and PFA agreed that difficult decisions will have to be taken in order to mitigate the economic impact of the current suspension of professional football in England and agreed to work together to arrive at shared solutions." Some clubs have asked players to defer up to half their wages, while players at Championship leaders Leeds, pushing for promotion to the lucrative Premier League, have volunteered for a wage deferral. The governing bodies are set for more talks next week as they try to draw up a unified plan. Last week saw the projected restart of the season pushed back until April 30, and that date has not moved. "The leagues will not recommence until April 30 at the earliest. They will only do so when it is safe and conditions allow," added the statement. "Further meetings will take place next week with a view to formulating a joint plan to deal with the difficult circumstances facing the leagues, their clubs, players, staff and fans." Meanwhile a spokesperson for the Football Association insisted they had no regrets about their announcement earlier this week that saw a host of lower division leagues declared null and void because of the coronavirus outbreak. "The decision taken to end the 2019/20 season across Steps 3-7 of the National League System, the women's football pyramid and the wider grassroots game was made by committee representatives for the respective leagues, and was supported by the FA Board and the FA Women's Board," the spokesperson said. "It will now go to the FA Council for ratification. We fully support the decision they came to during these challenging and unprecedented circumstances for English football."

English football chiefs set for 'difficult' coronavirus decisions