gettyimagesOxlade-Chamberlain used self-isolation to work on his dancing
Twitter comes to the rescue with no football on TV
At a time when the football season should be building to a triumphant crescendo, things were brought to an abrupt halt last week, as elite football in the UK was suspended until April because of the global coronavirus pandemic.
But even without live football on TV, and in between the constant hand-washing, the football community still found a way to entertain itself during a weekend of social distancing.
1) Ones to watch
If the weekend is anything to go by, we’re about to learn just how spoiled for choice we usually are when it comes to live football.
Hopefully, broadcasters can find a solution to the sudden massive gap in their (and our) schedules.
2) Premier League predictions
For most of the week it looked as if the Premier League would power ahead, but after Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta tested positive for coronavirus, it caused the Gunners’ clash with Brighton to be called off and soon the rest of the fixture list followed.
In the absence of any actual football on the telly, fans were forced to imagine what would be happening if the games had gone ahead.
It was certainly a shock to the system to see the seemingly unstoppable hype machine of the Premier League forced to put things on pause at such a critical point in the season.
3) Final standings
Inevitably, the suspension of the league has led to various suggestions on how to determine the final positions of every team if the season cannot be completed.
Obviously, there were various vested interests at play.
@Danny_McMoomins4) Different horses, different courses
Anxious fans may be worried about how their team's players are keeping up with their fitness regimes during self-isolation. Liverpool fans need not worry about the Ox, who, along with his girlfriend Perrie Edwards, seems to have found an innovative way to keep active and simultaneously sweep the floors whilst stuck indoors.
Meanwhile, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's teammate James Milner didn't let the time go idle either.
5) European connection
Meanwhile, Hull City saw the opportunity to get some European experience under their belts as the Tigers challenged Bayer Leverkusen to a thrilling game of Connect Four.
In a hard-fought game which ended just after midnight, the Championship strugglers claimed a famous victory over a Leverkusen side firmly in the hunt for a Champions League spot in the Bundesliga.
In the meantime, read about how other clubs got competitive over the weekend here, including a game of noughts and crosses between Southampton and Manchester City, plus Watford and Leyton Orient taking to Football Manager to live out the season digitally.
6) Shut it down
Not everyone was so willing to take part in the new form of competition, however, as Eastleigh were in no mood for games a day after their 4-0 defeat at the hands of Notts County.
7) He’s got the range
It’s not just fans who were bored over the weekend, as even the footballers were searching for things to do.
And what better way to pass the time than with a story? Take it away, Cesc Fabregas...
8) Picture this
Nothing says “social distancing” like finally finding out all of the weird things your phone can do.
We’re not quite sure we want to know what Scott was up to on the 4th of July last year that left him with all those pictures on his phone. Sometimes it’s better to not know.
