EPL observe a minute's silence in memory of Queen Elizabeth II before games

The Premier League has come together to pay tribute to Her Majesty The Queen in the first top-flight English football matches after her death last Thursday.

Queen Elizabeth II was 96 when she died at Balmoral last week and matches across England were postponed in the wake of her death.

The first Premier League games after her death were played on Friday night, with Aston Villa hosting Southampton and Nottingham Forest playing Fulham.

Before both fixtures, a minute's silence was held in the memory of the Queen, while her image was broadcasted on big screens at Villa Park and the City Ground.

The lights were turned off at Villa Park for their silent tribute to Her Majesty, and reports suggested that the moment of silence was impeccably observed by both home and travelling supporters.

At the City Ground however, the silence was met with some home fans shouting 'You Reds', and others telling them to 'shut up', according to Sportsmail's reporter at the stadium, Adam Shergold.

At both grounds, there was a rendition of 'God Save The King' to mark the new reign of her son, King Charles III.

There was no pre-match music provided by the Premier League for this weekend's matches and the traditional pre-match handshake was also abandoned as part of the changes made to standard protocol.

Players and officials from all sides wore black armbands, following the official advice issued in a statement by the Premier League to mark its return, 12 days after the last match was completed.

While English top flight sides have played in European competition, these are the first top-flight domestic matches to take place in England under the rule of the new king.

At Villa Park, the hosts paid tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth II on the cover of their matchday programme.

A minute's applause is prepared for the 70th minute of each match, to mark the long reign of Elizabeth II, who celebrated her Platinum Jubilee earlier in 2022.

A minute's silence was also held at Meadow Park before the first match of the Women's Super League season between Arsenal and Brighton.

Seven Premier League games will take place this weekend. The fixture between Brighton and Crystal Palace was previously postponed due to proposed rail strikes and has not been reinstated, while Manchester United against Leeds and Chelsea against Liverpool have both been shelved due to police requirements in London ahead of the funeral on Monday.

There is a significant media presence in the capital already, alongside thousands of mourners and the expected arrival of senior political figures from across the world.

Therefore, thousands of police are being employed in London, reducing the numbers available for high-level football matches.