Premier League players took a knee for the first 10 seconds of the league's return in a powerful show of solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement
- Aston Villa and Sheffield United's players all took a knee for the opening 10 seconds of the first match since the coronavirus lockdown to show solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement.
- Both clubs tweeted photos of the gesture shortly after with the caption "Black Lives Matter."
- "Both clubs hope that the act of 'taking a knee' will send a strong message of unity and amplify the many messages of support from Premier League players and the wider football family," said the two teams in a shared statement.
- A minute's silence was also held to pay respect to those who have lost their lives in during the coronavirus pandemic.
- Manchester City and Arsenal repeated the gesture in the game directly after.
English Premier League players took a knee for the first 10 seconds of the league's return after coronavirus lockdown to show solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement.
Aston Villa was hosting Sheffield United at Villa Park on Wednesday evening in what was the first English top flight game in exactly 100 days when all 22 players, plus the match officials, knelt down after the referee blew his whistle for kick-off.
Both clubs tweeted photos of the gesture shortly after with the caption "Black Lives Matter."
"In the first Premier League fixture of Project Restart both clubs hope that the act of 'taking a knee' will send a strong message of unity and amplify the many messages of support from Premier League players and the wider football family," said Villa in a statement on its club website.
Sheffield United also shared the exact same statement on its own club website.
"The directors of both clubs, Chris Wilder, Dean Smith, Billy Sharp, Jack Grealish and the players of United and Villa are in full support of this action."
Just prior to taking a knee, both clubs also took part in a minute's silence to pay respect to those who had lost their lives during the coronavirus pandemic, including Aston Villa boss Dean Smith's father, who passed away in late May.
"We believe that 'taking a knee' at the start of the fixture and after the pre-match minute's silence, allowed both clubs to pay their respects to COVID-19 victims and to show the deep gratitude we all feel for our brave and selfless front-line workers."
Manchester City and Arsenal players also repeated the gesture in the game directly after.
All Premier League players will replace the names on the back of their shirts with the words "Black Lives Matter" for the rest of the season in another show of solidarity to the movement.
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