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Aston Villa and Sheffield United players and officials drop to the turf in Black Lives Matter salute AFTER the whistle starts first Premier League game in 100 days

Players, staff and officials all dropped to one knee in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement at the start of the Premier League's return this evening.

As the whistle blew to mark the return of the Premier League after a 100-day absence, Aston Villa and Sheffield United players, along with staff and officials, all saluted the movement, following protests across Britain following the death of George Floyd in police custody in the US last month.

Players wore shirts with Black Lives Matter written on the back, instead of their own names, as they prepared to play 90 minutes in front of a near-empty Villa Park stadium in Birmingham.