Premier League captains in talks over whether to continue taking a knee

The anti-racism gesture of taking a knee before a match is under discussion by the captains of the league.

One meeting on the subject was held by the captains.

When they consult with their teammates, another will happen.

Since the league resumed in June 2020, players have taken a knee before the start of games.

At the time, Crystal Palace forward Wilfried Zaha said that at the moment it doesn't matter whether we kneel or stand, some of us still receive abuse.

Around that time, several Championship clubs stopped taking a knee.

Taking a knee has lost some of its power in pushing the anti-racism message.

The players' lead on the issue is expected to be followed by an announcement from the league before Palace's game with the Gunners.

Tougher action on crowd disorder

There has been a rise in incidents where fans bring flares and smoke bombs into stadiums.

This will initially involve enhanced searches outside stadiums and the use of Sniffer dogs, although judging by the flares that were let off during the Community Shield match between Manchester City andLiverpool atLeicester on Saturday and by visiting Rayo Vallecano fans during their friendly draw with Manchester United 24 hours later,

Richard Masters said that this was essential.

There were a lot of serious incidents at the end of the season. We need to push it back to stop it from getting out of control.

It will take time to improve by our shareholders' meeting in September.

Chelsea turmoil

New owners have taken over.

On May 31, Todd Boehly's group took control of the club after the UK government imposed sanctions on Roman Abramovich.

There were genuine concerns that a purchase wouldn't be completed by the government's deadline.

Further questions about the effectiveness of the owners' and directors' test are raised.

With hindsight, it is difficult to say that the Abramovich era has been a success.

There was no O&D test when RomanAbramovich took over. What safeguards would you put in place in the future if there had been one?

Masters confirmed that there was discussion about how much of a deal it could be used for when it came to the ownership of clubs.

EFL Cup to stay

The Premier League is committed to retaining the EFL Cup beyond 2024, despite the squeeze on the calendar caused by the increase in Europe's top competition.

A number of clubs are worried about the number of matches they will have to play.

The majority of the teams are in favor of continuing the competition.

There is a European place for the winner of the League Cup at Wembley. There is a calendar solution to it.

These challenges are not easy and there is an obvious answer. We are not starting with a belief that these things can't be solved.

There are two cups and the trophy. If possible, those things should stay the same.

Changes for the new Premier League season

• The multi-ball system - which allows the game to resume with another ball when the match ball goes out of play - is to return, partly as an effort to speed up the game. In-game time last season averaged 55 minutes 07 seconds, regarded as 'unacceptable'.
• Concussion trials are to continue for another season. Teams are allowed to make an extra substitution in the event of a suspected concussion. The Premier League is understood to be supportive of the idea of temporary substitutions, though, and is lobbying for it. It believes club medical staff should be given an amount of time to make a call without the substitute being permanent.
• Premier League clubs have been advised not to stop games for a medical emergency in the stands unless absolutely necessary.
• Assistant referees have been instructed to only delay raising their flag for an obvious offside when there is an immediate chance of a goal.
• Clubs will be allowed to play friendlies while the World Cup takes place in November and December.