Premier League clubs who have been fighting to restart the season with normal home and away games rather than neutral venues could be in for a rude awakening.
Brighton, Watford and Aston Villa's bosses have stated their opposition to neutral venues, because they are desperate to make the most of home advantage as they fight survival.
However, a new study has revealed that such an advantage does not exist when football is played without fans — with a major reason shown to be that referees are no longer influenced by the home crowd.