After a break of more than three months due to the coronavirus pandemic, Premier League football will finally make its much-anticipated return on Wednesday with Aston Villa, Sheffield United, Manchester City and Arsenal all in action.
After Wednesday's pair of fixtures every club will have nine games left to play, and there are still numerous issues to resolve at the end of what has already been a memorable campaign.
Liverpool's inevitable title is perhaps the only spot which seems effectively set in stone, with Jurgen Klopp's side needing only two more wins to secure a first top-flight crown since 1990.
Here, Sports Mole rounds up the story of the 2019-20 Premier League season so far.
Liverpool nigh-on unstoppable
© Reuters
Had it not been for the coronavirus pandemic, the 2019-20 Premier League season would be almost exclusively remembered for Liverpool enjoying the most dominant campaign in the history of Europe's top five leagues.
The champions-elect shattered just about every record en route to amassing 82 points from the 87 available from the first 29 games - a tally which would have already been enough for them to win the title in seven previous seasons.
For much of the season they also looked destined to emulate Arsenal's Invincibles and go on to break their 49-game unbeaten run, only for a shock defeat at the hands of Watford to bring their streak to an end at 44 games.
Prior to that loss Liverpool had taken 106 points from the last 108 on offer in the Premier League - a ludicrous run of form which is unlikely to ever be repeated.
There are a host of other records still up for grabs, including the earliest title win in terms of games played and the most points accumulated in a single campaign.
Soon-to-be-dethroned champions Manchester City have been unable to keep up, losing seven times to slip 25 points adrift of their inevitable successors.
Leicester and Sheffield United pushing for Europe
© Reuters
The 'big six' have well and truly been gatecrashed this season, with Leicester City currently sitting third and looking almost certain to return to the Champions League next term.
The Foxes boast the league's highest scorer in Jamie Vardy, registered the biggest-ever away Premier League win by hammering Southampton 9-0 and possess attacking and defensive records which are both among the best in the division.
Brendan Rodgers's side are not even the biggest overachievers of 2019-20 campaign, though - that is an accolade claimed by Sheffield United.
The newly-promoted Blades were favourites to suffer an immediate return to the Championship, yet with 10 games of their campaign remaining they are very much in the hunt for Champions League football next term instead.
Should they beat Villa on Wednesday then they would climb into fifth, which as things stand would be good enough for a Champions League spot just three years after they were playing in League One.
Inconsistency plagues top-four race
© Reuters
Some of the more usual names are still in the mix for a Champions League place too, although the team that secures the final spot may just be the one which slips up least between now and the end of the season.
Chelsea have lost nine games, Manchester United eight and Tottenham Hotspur a whopping 10 this season, while Arsenal have only chalked up nine wins - three of which came in a row immediately before lockdown.
The Gunners in ninth will not have completely given up hope of Champions League qualification - particularly if fifth is good enough - but both they and North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur will need a vast improvement over the closing stages of the season.
Sheffield United are very much in the mix, while Wolverhampton Wanderers, who have only lost six games this term, still have two possible routes into next season's Champions League given that they are in the Europa League too.
Manchester United currently sit fifth, which if Man City's appeal against their European ban is rejected would be enough for Champions League qualification, but they are only three points off Chelsea in fourth and will not want to leave a place in next season's competition up to the result of a UEFA ruling.
United had been in fine form prior to lockdown, but it is Chelsea who will resume the season in pole position to claim fourth place.
Relegation scrap
© Reuters
Things are incredibly tight at the bottom of the table, with 16th-placed West Ham United, 17th-placed Watford and Bournemouth in 18th separated only by a goal difference of three.
Brighton & Hove Albion are only two points better off and Aston Villa just two points behind, while the latter boast a game in hand against Sheffield United which, if they were to win, would catapult them out of the relegation zone and up to 16th.
Norwich City face the most difficult task of the lot - they are six points adrift at the bottom of the table with the worst goal difference and joint-worst attacking record in the league.
Bournemouth have the toughest run-in of any Premier League side over the final nine games of the season, though, facing five of the top eight in that time and none of the teams around them in the relegation battle.
For West Ham relegation could be financially catastrophic following a big summer of spending last year, including the club-record purchase of Sebastien Haller.
Villa also spent big money after winning promotion last year, although any financial hit they might take from relegation is likely to be offset by the expected sale of club captain Jack Grealish.
