Following last season’s nail-biting title decider where Manchester City pipped Arsenal to the line to record a historic fourth successive Premier League title, England’s top 20 clubs are ready to battle it out once again for England’s crown jewel.
This time, it is Manchester United who’ll kick off the season against Marco Silva’s Fulham in the early Friday night fixture while new boys Ipswich Town will be hosting Liverpool as the early fixture on Saturday. However, it is Enzo Maresca and Chelsea who’ve taken all the limelight as he faces his baptism of fire against champions Manchester City at Stamford Bridge.
So without further ado, let’s take a look at what we have in store for us this Gameweek.
After a miserable time in the top flight and Europe last term, a slight ray of sunshine broke through the gloom in the red half of Manchester when United beat neighbours City to lift the FA Cup.
Not only has Ten Hag kept his job despite much speculation and a behind-the-scenes clear-out by United’s ambitious new owners, but he has also been joined by some familiar faces for the upcoming campaign.
In addition to club hero Ruud van Nistelrooy partnering his fellow Dutchman in the dugout, former Ajax academy graduates Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui have also arrived to bolster an injury-hit defensive department.
On home soil last season, the Red Devils lost as many as six matches in 19 top-flight contests; that included one to Friday’s opening opponents, who they had previously lost to just three times in 33 Premier League meetings.
While United have been busy recruiting new players, the Cottagers are still rebuilding from the high-profile summer exits of Tosin Adarabioyo, João Palhinha and long-serving defender Tim Ream.
Often impressive at Craven Cottage but somewhat flaky when on the road, Marco Silva’s team won just four away games last term, which rounded off their points tally to just 18 points on the road.
However, three of Fulham’s last four league meetings with Manchester United have been won by the away side, each courtesy of a late winner. With Marco Silva unbeaten in nine opening-day matches, precedent points towards a positive result for the visitors.
Although Erik ten Hag’s former Ajax players Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui have both arrived from Bayern Munich and could play a part on Friday evening, a familiar defensive crisis looms over Manchester United’s Premier League return.
Young summer signing Leny Yoro will be sidelined for several months after sustaining a metatarsal injury during pre-season, while Luke Shaw, Tyrell Malacia and Victor Lindelof are all absent again; leaving Harry Maguire, who’s still short of fitness, as one of the remaining alternatives.
On the other hand, following the abrupt departure of Aleksandar Mitrovic, Fulham’s main marksman last term turned out to be young Brazilian forward Rodrigo Muniz with nine league goals.
The former Flamengo striker is set to be supported by ex-United midfielder Andreas Pereira, while recent summer addition Emile Smith Rowe – who scored on his only previous Premier League start at Old Trafford – is also expected to play.
Another new acquisition, Jorge Cuenca, may need some time to acclimatise, so Issa Diop and Calvin Bassey could be paired at the heart of Marco Silva’s defence.
Manchester United possible starting lineup:
André Onana; Diogo Dalot, Matthijs De Ligt, Lisando Martínez, Noussair Mazraoui; Casemiro, Kobbie Mainoo; Amad Diallo, Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford; Joshua Zirkzee
Fulham possible starting lineup:
Bernd Leno; Timothy Castagne, Issa Diop, Calvin Bassey, Antonee Robinson; Saša Luki?, Harrison Reed; Alex Iwobi, Andreas Pereira, Emile Smith Rowe; Rodrigo Muniz
Manchester United 2-2 Fulham
The last seven Premier League openers have seen a total of 25 goals – close to four per game – and we could be treated to another Premier League classic this Friday night.
Neither side is renowned for their defensive discipline, and with several new players still settling in, an exciting high-scoring draw could well be on the cards.
Spare a thought for former Reds manager Jürgen Klopp as Liverpool were given the first 12.30pm kickoff of the new season – the German often had a bone to pick when his side were given the early slot – but he can now lay back and enjoy his troops with a cup of coffee in the morning.
Ex-Feyenoord boss Arne Slot – whom Tottenham Hotspur tried and failed to hire in 2023 – will be guiding the Reds back into the promised land of the Champions League this season, albeit in its new-look format, and the new manager bounce was seemingly in full effect in pre-season.
Despite commencing their summer with a shock 1-0 loss to Preston North End behind closed doors, Liverpool subsequently won four on the spin against revered opposition in Real Betis, Arsenal, Manchester United and Sevilla, before a low-key goalless draw with Las Palmas at an empty Anfield.
While Slot has already laid down a few markers this summer, the same cannot be said of Liverpool’s transfer strategists, as impatient Reds fans are still awaiting their first new arrival of the summer while hoping the sporting team can prioritise the contracts of Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold.
In stark contrast, many a new face has filtered in through the Portman Road doors following Ipswich’s second successive promotion.
A second-placed finish was still sufficient to propel the Tractor Boys back into the top flight 22 years on from their most recent Premier League foray, having competed exclusively in the lower tiers ever since their demotion in the 2001-02 campaign.
The brilliant work of head coach Kieran McKenna supposedly saw some of the Premier League’s big boys come calling, namely Chelsea and Manchester United, but the 38-year-old rejected the chance to move up the footballing ladder in favour of penning a new deal for the Tractors.
Akin to their opponents Liverpool, Ipswich’s pre-season preparations were overwhelmingly positive, as McKenna oversaw a trio of 1-0 victories over Shakhtar Donetsk, Hoffenheim and Nice, with the only blot being a 2-1 beating at the hands of Fortuna Dusseldorf.
Arne Slot ought to have all of his troops available for his Premier League baptism, as Andrew Robertson returned from his Euro 2024 injury to play an hour of the draw with Las Palmas.
Salah, Van Dijk and Alexander-Arnold are also nailed-on starters, but there have been claims that Slot is not too keen on Ibrahima Konate.
On the other hand, the Ipswich medical team are nursing a few players back to full health in Harry Clarke (Achilles), George Hirst (knee), Nathan Broadhead (thigh) and Janoi Donacien (adductor), while Cameron Humphreys (unspecified) is a major doubt.
No fewer than nine new players have arrived at Portman Road on permanent deals this summer, and at least a handful should come straight into the first XI, including Arijanet Muric, Liam Delap, Jacob Greaves and ex-Arsenal and Chelsea youngster Omari Hutchinson.
Ipswich Town possible starting lineup:
Arijanet Muric; Axel Tuanzebe, George Edmundson, Jacob Greaves; Ben Johnson, Massimo Luongo, Sam Morsy, Leif Davis; Omari Hutchinson, Liam Delap, Marcus Harness
Liverpool possible starting lineup:
Alisson; Trent Alexander-Arnold, Jarrell Quansah, Virgil Van Dijk, Andy Robertson; Dominik Szoboszlai, Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister; Mohamed Salah, Diogo Jota, Luis Díaz
Ipswich Town 1-2 Liverpool
Ipswich switching to a three-man central defensive shape in order to stifle Slot’s Liverpool is not beyond the realm of possibility, but the full-strength Reds are sure to wear down their hosts’ backline eventually.
While McKenna’s men should still keep the scoreline respectable, having demonstrated their defensive prowess in pre-season, I can only envisage Liverpool heading back up north with their first three points of the Slot era.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta once again had to settle for silver in the Premier League, as the Gunners failed to end two decades of top-flight hurt since their Invincibles season of 2003/04.
However, while their title fight tailed off towards the end of the 2022/23 campaign, the Gunners were still in with a chance last season- albeit a wafer-thin chance – of pipping Man City to the post on the final day, but a hard-fought 2-1 win over Everton ultimately went unrewarded.
Arteta’s Arsenal can no doubt be described as going from strength to strength, though, and there were only two blots on the Gunners’ notebook in pre-season, a penalty shootout loss to Manchester United – whom they beat in 90 minutes – and a narrow defeat to Liverpool.
The Gunners have already competed in two Emirates bouts this month, teaching German Invincibles Bayer Leverkusen a lesson in a 4-1 battering before beating Olympique Lyon 2-0 in the latest edition of the Emirates Cup, their fifth successive competitive or non-competitive win at their North London home.
After hovering close to danger in the early stages of the 2023-24 campaign, Wolves established themselves as a solid mid-table outfit under manager Gary O’Neil and even threatened a top-10 charge in the spring months, only for a dismal set of end-of-season results to plunge them down to 14th spot.
Five of Wolves’ final six top-flight contests last term ended with O’Neil’s side coming up second best – including each of their final three – but they returned to top-flight duty with a respectable set of results based on their six pre-season friendlies, including an exceptional 3-0 hammering of RB Leipzig.
That emphatic win was sandwiched in between losses to Crystal Palace (3-1) and Rayo Vallecano (1-0), however, coming back to the fixture, they have also lost their Premier League opener in each of the last three seasons; a fourth on the spin this weekend would represent an unwanted club first.
While neither Kieran Tierney (hamstring) nor Takehiro Tomiyasu (knee) will be ready for Arsenal’s Premier League opener, Arteta is keeping his fingers crossed that Jurrien Timber – who tore his ACL on the opening weekend last year – will shake off a foot issue to feature.
In case the Dutchman faces another setback, the Gunners have new summer signing Riccardo Calafiori to call upon, however, Oleksandr Zinchenko, who impressed in preseason, should be given the nod from the first whistle.
Saturday’s game will also see Thomas Partey given the nod in the number six position as Arsenal continue to work on the signing of Real Sociedad’s Mikel Merino.
As far as Wolves are concerned, with Nelson Semedo facing a three-game suspension following his direct red on the last day against Liverpool last season, Matt Doherty and new signing Pedro Lima will battle it out to start at the Emirates, where O’Neil expects all of Matheus Cunha (hamstring), Mario Lemina (thigh) and Jorgen Strand Larsen (groin) to be available despite their niggles.
However, Daniel Podence (calf) and Leon Chiwone (ankle) are still sidelined, while teenage winger Enso Gonzalez suffered a devastating ACL injury while playing for Paraguay at the Olympics and is facing a lengthy recuperation period.
Arsenal possible starting lineup:
David Raya; Benjamin White, William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhães, Oleksandr Zinchenko; Martin Odegaard, Thomas Partey, Declan Rice; Bukayo Saka, Kai Havertz, Gabriel Martinelli
Wolverhampton Wanderers possible starting lineup:
José Sá; Matt Doherty, Yerson Mosquera, Toti Gomes, Rayan Aït-Nouri; Pablo Sarabia, Mario Lemina, João Gomes; Jørgen Strand Larsen, Matheus Cunha, Hee-Chan Hwang
Arsenal 3-0 Wolverhampton Wanderers
Neither of Arsenal’s last two opening-day wins over Crystal Palace or Nottingham Forest have been entirely convincing, but none of Arteta’s squad – or even Arteta himself – had been born the last time that the hosts failed to score in a competitive game with Wolves.
That club-record streak of 33 should become 34 on Saturday afternoon, as Wolves were inconsistent in the second half of pre-season and should prove no match for an Arsenal unit boasting a fully-fit attacking contingent.
Despite holding their own in last year’s Champions League Group of Death, the Magpies’ return to the continent ended at the first hurdle, and while they were always hovering around the European spots in the Premier League table, seventh did not suffice this time around.
Moreover, the fact that Erik ten Hag’s men – who finished eighth in the Premier League, one spot below Newcastle – stunned their city rivals in the FA Cup final, it meant the Red Devils sealed a Europa League spot, Chelsea dropped down to the Conference League, and Eddie Howe’s men were left without any form of continental competition.
Besides, off-the-pitch distractions have also threatened to disrupt Newcastle’s preparations, from the departure of their club director to Howe’s links with the England job, but the Magpies soared in pre-season with five victories from a possible six, the outlier being a 2-0 loss to Yokohama F. Marinos.
Furthermore, Howe’s crop found the back of the net in each of their 19 Premier League home games last season, while also navigating their last eight unbeaten, a solid run which produced 24 goals at a rate of three per game.
While some Magpies fans may not have been best pleased by results at Wembley a few months ago, Southampton rejoiced in winning the most lucrative game in football under the arch, fulfilling their promotion dreams at the expense of a heartbroken Leeds United.
Ahead of their swift return to top-flight territory, Southampton have tested their mettle against a host of international opposition in pre-season, beating the likes of Bordeaux and Montpellier HSC while holding Lazio and Getafe to draws in their final fixtures at St Mary’s.
New arrivals have already hit double digits, but their 8% win rate on the opening weekend is the worst of all teams to have played in at least 10 Premier League fixtures.
The injury curse engulfing St James’ Park has not been lifted over the summer, as the likes of Sven Botman (knee), Jamaal Lascelles (knee), Callum Wilson (back), Lewis Miley (ankle) and Matt Targett (calf) are all still out injured; the former two should not be back until January.
Key defensive anchor Fabian Schär also appeared to twist his ankle in Newcastle’s final pre-season win over Brest, but there is optimism that he will be fit, while the Magpies also confirmed on Thursday that Sandro Tonali will be available for selection again on August 28 following his lengthy betting ban.
While Newcastle’s transfers in have been relatively modest – William Osula, Odysseas Vlachodimos, Lewis Hall and Lloyd Kelly – the Magpies have successfully fended off interest in Alexander Isak and Bruno Guimaraes, both of whom will play a vital role this season.
As for Southampton, the Saints must cope without goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu for a number of months due to his Achilles rupture, with 34-year-old Alex McCarthy likely to guard the posts despite competition from Joe Lumley and Mateusz Lis.
Attacker Kamaldeen Sulemana is also nursing an ankle problem sustained in the friendly loss to Oxford United at the end of July, which would be good news for summer signing Ben Brereton Diaz, who ought to be given the nod with Armstrong up top.
Newcastle United possible starting lineup:
Nick Pope; Kieran Trippier, Fabian Schär, Dan Burn, Lewis Hall; Sean Longstaff, Bruno Guimarães, Joelinton; Jacob Murphy, Alexander Isak, Anthony Gordon
Southampton possible starting lineup:
Alex McCarthy; Yukinari Sugawara, Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Jan Bednarek, Jack Stephens, Kyle Walker-Peters; Flynn Downes, Will Smallbone, Joe Aribo; Adam Armstrong, Ben Brereton Diaz
Newcastle United 4-1 Southampton
Despite failing to finish in the top three spots of the Championship table, Southampton led the division in terms of average possession and passes last season, as well as ranking second for shots per game and expected goals per game.
Such praiseworthy statistics means that the travelling army should have something to cheer, but it may only be the odd consolation goal, as home specialists Newcastle will surely put them to the sword and look to run rampant in their first home fixture.
The Toffees would have finished 12th and 22 points clear of the relegation zone without their points deduction, but manager Sean Dyche will nevertheless have taken plenty of positives from his side’s dogged performances amidst all the off-field chaos with the Premier League and their ongoing ownership issues.
Brighton, on the other hand, are preparing for their eighth consecutive season as a Premier League club and their first under the guidance of new head coach Fabian Hurzeler, who at the age of just 31 will become the youngest manager in the division’s history this weekend.
Everton will be without the injured duo Nathan Patterson (hamstring) and Youssef Chermiti (foot), while Dyche has confirmed that Manchester United-linked Jarrad Branthwaite is likely to miss Saturday’s game as he continues to recover from a minor groin operation.
Seamus Coleman and James Garner are also doubtful with calf injuries, but Michael Keane should be fit after returning to training earlier this week following a minor issue.
As for Brighton, they will be without Pervis Estupinan (ankle), Evan Ferguson (foot), Solly March, Julio Enciso (both knee), Bart Verbruggen and Igor Julio (both unspecified) due to injury, while Tariq Lamptey and Napoli-linked Billy Gilmour are both doubtful.
Everton possible starting lineup:
Pickford; Young, Tarkowski, O’Brien, Mykolenko; Gueye, Iroegbunam, Doucoure; Harrison, Calvert-Lewin, McNeil
Brighton & Hove Albion possible starting lineup:
Steele; Veltman, Van Hecke, Dunk, Barco; Milner, Wieffer; Minteh, Pedro, Mitoma; Welbeck
Everton 1-1 Brighton & Hove Albion
Brighton breezed past their opposition in pre-season, and although Saturday’s clash with Everton should be a much sterner test for the Seagulls. Under Dyche, Everton has been much more resilient and compact, and thus will make it hard for the Seagulls to penetrate them.
Nuno Espirito Santo was brought in to replace Steve Cooper in December, and although his appointment was not warmly welcomed by some quarters of the Forest fanbase, he steered the club to safety and has since been backed in the transfer market.
Bournemouth made the somewhat surprise decision to part ways with Gary O’Neil at the start of last season and appointed Andoni Iraola, who began his reign as Cherries boss with a nine-game winless run in the top flight.
However, the Spaniard turned Bournemouth’s fortunes around and ended the 2023-24 campaign being nominated for the Premier League Manager of the Season award after guiding the Cherries to a 12th place and a club-record 48-point total, finishing a whopping 22 points clear of the relegation zone.
Nottingham Forest were one of a number of clubs who struggled with injuries last season, but they head into this weekend with a clean bill of health, meaning that Nuno has a full squad available for selection.
As for Bournemouth, Enes Unal, Tyler Adams and David Brooks are all sidelined with injuries, while goalkeeper Neto and defender Marcos Senesi will both be assessed ahead of kickoff; the latter sustained a nasty cut to his face in last weekend’s friendly win over Girona.
Nottingham Forest possible starting lineup:
Sels; Williams, Milenkovic, Murillo, Aina; Yates, Danilo; Elanga, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi; Wood
Bournemouth possible starting lineup:
Neto; Smith, Huijsen, Zabarnyi, Kerkez; Cook, Christie; Tavernier, Kluivert, Sinisterra; Semenyo
Nottingham Forest 2-2 Bournemouth
Five of the last six competitive meetings between Nottingham Forest and Bournemouth have seen both teams score, and another entertaining contest with plenty of goals could be on the cards this weekend.
After four years filled with plenty of highs and lows under David Moyes, West Ham usher in a new era under another experienced head in the form of Julen Lopetegui, formerly of clubs including Real Madrid, Sevilla and Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Under Unai Emery’s guidance, for the first-time in 41 years, Aston Villa will be competing in the top tier of European football this term after they shocked the Premier League landscape to deservedly secure a top-four finish last season.
West Ham will be without midfielder Edson Alvarez, who is still recovering from a hamstring injury sustained on international duty with Mexico at the 2024 Copa America, while Kurt Zouma’s proposed move to UAE outfit Shabab Al-Ahli is in doubt after he failed a medical.
As for Aston Villa, Boubacar Kamara and Tyrone Mings are still on the road to recovery from serious knee injuries, while backup goalkeeper Robin Olsen is doubtful with a facial injury picked up in a pre-season match against RB Leipzig at the end of last month.
Diego Carlos has been linked with a move away from Villa so he is not expected to be involved on Saturday.
West Ham United possible starting lineup:
Areola; Coufal, Mavropanos, Kilman, Emerson; Ward-Prowse, Rodriguez; Bowen, Kudus, Paqueta; Fullkrug
Aston Villa possible starting lineup:
Martinez; Maatsen, Konsa, Torres, Moreno; Bailey, Onana, Tielemans, McGinn; Rogers; Watkins
West Ham United 1-1 Aston Villa
Both West Ham and Aston Villa have been tipped to perform well in the Premier League this season, although neither team have a particularly good record on the opening weekend of a new top-flight season.
Following a mixed pre-season for both clubs, it is difficult to confidently predict a winner for this contest, so I feel that an intense tactical draw could be on the cards.
Hampered by Ivan Toney’s betting ban in the first half of the season and devastating injuries to other attackers, the Bees wound up in 16th place last term and failed to breach the 40-point mark, although they still finished comfortably clear of 18th-placed Luton Town courtesy of a 13-point deficit.
The Crystal Palace hierarchy, on the other hand, brought in Europa League-winning experience to a frustrated Selhurst Park, whose faithful had become disenchanted with the second Roy Hodgson reign, as former Eintracht Frankfurt boss Oliver Glasner masterminded a meteoric revival which culminated in Palace securing a 10th-place finish as well as achieving a respectable 49 points.
New summer signing Igor Thiago (knee), Joshua Dasilva (knee), Rico Henry (Knee) and Aaron Hickey (thigh) completes Brentford’s injured quartet as the Scotsman works his way back from some unfortunate complications
For Palace, Chris Richards is expected to overcome a knock to make himself available, but Matheus Franca is still on the mend from a groin problem.
Brentford possible starting lineup:
Flekken; Roerslev, Collins, Pinnock, Ajer; Norgaard, Janelt, Jensen; Mbeumo, Toney, Wissa
Crystal Palace possible starting lineup:
Henderson; Richards, Andersen, Guehi; Munoz, Wharton, Doucoure, Mitchell; Kamada, Eze; Mateta
Brentford 1-3 Crystal Palace
Facing a Brentford side with a depleted defence and a misfiring striker in Toney, the Eagles should pick up where they left off at the end of last season with a dominant opening-day win.
Last year Man City secured an unprecedented Premier League triumph. Never before in men’s football has a team won four consecutive top-flight titles in England. So the question now is whether Man City can turn four into five. For now they have avoided a departure from Pep Guardiola, but there have been small hints that this could be his final campaign as Man City boss.
For Chelsea, this is the start of another new era. At the helm now is Enzo Maresca, who led Leicester City back to the Premier League at the first time of asking. That was Maresca’s first full season as a manager, having taken charge of Parma for a few months in 2021. Between those two roles, Maresca was Guardiola’s assistant at Man City, having previously been in charge of the club’s U23 team in 2020/21.
The Royal Blues will only be missing the services of Reece James, as he is suspended for the first three games of the new season after his red card at the end of the 2023/24 campaign.
For Man City, Oscar Bobb is ruled out for between three and four months with a fractured fibula, while the Citizens will also have to cope without star midfielder Rodri, who was forced off with a hamstring injury in the Euro 2024 final and is yet to take part in Man City training after an extended summer break.
There is also uncertainty over the availability of England trio Phil Foden, Kyle Walker and John Stones, who all missed the Community Shield last weekend and have only spent a few days back in first-team training.
Chelsea possible starting lineup:
Sanchez; Gusto, W. Fofana, Colwill, Cucurella; Fernandez, Lavia, Caicedo; Neto, Nkunku, Palmer
Manchester City possible starting lineup:
Ederson; Lewis, Akanji, Dias, Gvardiol; Bernardo, Kovacic; Savinho, De Bruyne, Doku; Haaland
Chelsea 1-3 Manchester City
This seems like a pretty straightforward away win for Man City given the mess Chelsea have been all summer. However, this might be the best time to play City as many of their stars have only just returned after not having a preseason.
With Maresca taking over at Chelsea, Steve Cooper is now the Leicester manager, given the job of ensuring the Foxes become Premier League regulars again. He has had to deal with the departure of Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, but Leicester have done well to keep hold of their major players so far, while also adding depth to the squad.
Ange Postecoglou started life well in North London but Tottenham eventually fell away, having to settle for a fifth-placed finish. This feels like an important summer for Postecoglou to reshape his squad, making sure every player is signing from the same hymn sheet.
Defender Conor Cody and striker Patson Daka are both out for a couple of months, while veteran striker Jamie Vardy is also a couple of weeks away from returning to full training.
Both Richarlison (calf) and Fraser Foster (Foot) are close to making a comeback into the matchday squad while Yves Bissouma faces a suspension and will not play a part in the club’s opening fixture.
Leicester City possible line-up:
Hermansen; Pereira, Faes, Vestergaard, Kristiansen; Winks, Ndidi; Fatawu, Decordova-Reid, Mavididi; Daka.
Tottenham Hotspur possible line-up:
Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie; Gray, Sarr, Maddison; Kulusevski, Son, Solanke.
Leicester City 1-3 Tottenham Hotspur
While Ange Postecoglou will look to kick off the season in a similar vein to last season, if Steve Cooper gets his tactics right, it could turn out to be a very frustrating watch for the neutral. Having said that, with the addition of Dominic Solanke, the North Londoners should have enough in their artillery to come away with all three points.
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