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A Handy Guide to Follow English Premier League for Beginners
Here is your ultimate beginners guide to following the Premier League including the league structure, European qualification and it’s popularity.
Popularity of the English Premier League
The English Premier League is also known as the EPL and is not only the most popular football league in the world, it’s also the most watched sports league in the world. Media companies broadcast Premier League matches to over 643 million homes, with audience of around 4.7 billion individuals. People from all walks of life enjoy football and Premier League action.
The EPL ladder is filled with several world renowned teams such as Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal, and their squads are compiled with world class football players. English teams are known for their diverse styles of play and it’s usually very difficult to predict the results due to the competitive nature of the league.
Structure of the Premier League
The Premier League is structured whereby each of the teams plays each other twice in a season with one match home and the other away. In the duration of the season which is scheduled from August to May, each team plays 38 matches.
While many other European countries enjoy a mid-season break, clubs in the Premier League ladder have no winter break. The only time there’s a break is when there’s a FIFA mandated international break when the players from the EPL play for their respective countries in international games such as friendlies, regionals, and European championships.
The teams earn three points for a win, one point for a draw, and none for a defeat. The team with the most points at the end of the season wins the title. At the bottom of the table, the bottom three teams are relegated to the second tier of English soccer, the Championship.
Qualifications to European Football
The teams that finish in the top four positions qualify for the UEFA Champions League, the best club football competition there is. The team that finishes fourth would usually have to contest a playoff to reach the group stages of the Champions League. The UEFA Champions League features the best teams from Europe playing against each other from September to the finals in May.
The Premier League teams that finish fifth, sixth, and seventh qualify for the UEFA Europa League. However, this relies on the winners and runners-up of the domestic competitions. These are the League Cup and the FA Cup. From the FA Cup, if the winner qualifies to join the Champions League, then their place will be given to the seventh team in the ELP standings.
The fair play initiative is hand in hand with the UEFA competitions. Depending on the yellow or red cards issued to each team and the overall conduct of the spectators, the best-classified team in the Premier League fair play standings will be part of the UEFA Europa League.
Betting on the Premier League
For new spectators, keep an eye on the best odds and tips from the best betting sites. Bookmakers that are licensed and well managed will offer secure and safe platforms. In addition, they have the best odds that in turn increase the chances of winning.
