FRIDAY:
BRENTFORD V ARSENAL
I was happy that Brentford got promoted last season because I felt that they deserved a shot at the big time having been an established Championship club for a number of seasons with a few flirtations with the play offs. They're a well run club with ambition and a good manager in Thomas Frank. They've waited for this day to come for a number of seasons.
They'll learn a lot from this game as they'll be facing one of the giants of this league in Arsenal who have been at this level for a long time. It's a tough start for them but it will still be a good learning experience for them.
Not playing in Europe could benefit Arsenal this season like it did for Liverpool when they had Luis Suarez in their side and Chelsea when Antonio Conte was their manager. I'm not saying they're going to win or challenge for the title but they could finish within the top six due to them not being in Europe. They'll have fewer games to play which will in turn give the players more time to recover between games. They have some good young players in their squad plus they've also made some smart signings with Ben White from Brighton being the main one.
This may be their first game of the season, but it looks like a must win for Arsenal as they face Chelsea and Man City in their next two after this one. They'll want to and need to win this game so they can start the season well and carry some confidence into those tough games.
I'm going for an Arsenal in here because I can see them teach Brentford a lesson. They have more in Premier League quality and I think that will be enough for them to win this game.
PREDICTION: 0-3
SATURDAY:
MAN UNITED V LEEDS
Man United are looking like title contenders going into this campaign because of the signings they've made in Sancho and Varane. Sancho will add more quality to their attack which looks very exciting with the likes of Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford and Edinson Cavani alongside him whilst Varane will add solidity and a winning mentality to the defence. With the defence looking solid and the attack looking frightening, this season could be a promising one for United.
Not having Rashford for this game will be a blow for them because of how important he is for them. But they still have players who can fill in on that left hand side even if they're not their best options. Anthony Martial is a frustrating player but is still a talent and Dan James isn't consistent enough but can be effective.
This fixture last season was a turning point in Leeds' season because of how much they improved defensively in the second half of the season. They looked very open in their 6-3 defeat back in December and it encouraged them to adapt for when they played the bigger teams which they did as they got draws against Liverpool and Chelsea as well as the fixture against United at Elland Road.
This season for Leeds will mainly be about stability because the second season can be tougher than the first as teams may have figured them out from last season. They'll go for another top 10 finish after finishing 9th last season but if Leeds finish within 9th to 13th in the league this year, it will still be a good season for them. This is because a mid-table finish in your second season shows that you're stabilising yourselves at this level which is the minimum that they'll be after this season.
I'm going for United to win this one because I think they'll have enough to win the game. Leeds will try and play their way but I think United's quality will shine through. Especially with Bruno Fernandes and Jadon Sancho in their side.
PREDICTION: 3-1
BURNLEY V BRIGHTON
It's been another quiet summer for Burnley which has surprised me because I was expecting them to spend more money as they had new owners in earlier in the year. Their only signing of note has been keeper Wayne Hennessey who is expected to be back up to Nick Pope. Sean Dyche needs more funds from the new owners so his side can have the best chance of securing their Premier League status for another season.
Despite the lack of signings the Clarets should still be safe for another season because of the manager and squad they have. They stayed up last season despite not making many signings and the same could happen again this season unless the manager gets funds from the new owners.
Brighton were good to watch for the majority of last season but couldn't put the ball in the net on a regular basis. I thought they would go out and buy a striker to fix that problem but it appears that they're not looking for one which surprises me. They have made signings during this window but none of them have been centre forwards which is what they need the most if they're to stay out of another relegation battle.
Losing Ben White to Arsenal is a blow but they should still be a solid outfit defensively as they still have the likes of Lewis Dunk and Dan Burn in their backline. Keeping Yves Bissouma is a big bonus because some of the big clubs have been after him during the summer which shows how important a player he is in the Brighton midfield.
This one will be a close game and I think Burnley will win it. They have enough defensively to keep Brighton at bay and have a striker who can score goals in Chris Wood which Brighton don't have. That will be the difference between the two sides.
PREDICTION: 1-0
CHELSEA V CRYSTAL PALACE
Chelsea will be expecting to challenge for the title this season after ending last season strongly and winning the Champions League. That along with their Super Cup win over Villarreal on Wednesday will give them confidence going into this campaign. With the Lukaku deal finally over the line, I can see them challenging City for the title because they needed a top quality centre forward and they 100% have in Romelu Lukaku.
Crystal Palace will want to avoid a repeat of what happened to them four or five years ago when they appointed Frank De Boer who was then sacked after just four games. The Eagles have appointed another foreigner in Patrick Vieira who will be bringing in a different style of play much like De Boer was when he came in back in 2017. If Palace are to make this experiment work, they need to give Vieira time which is what they didn't give De Boer.
The Eagles have been busy over the summer which they had to be after so many players left due to their contracts expiring. It will take time for them to settle in as for some of them it will a new league but Palace should still be safe as they still have talisman Wilfried Zaha. If he stays fit, Palace are safe for another season.
I'm going for Chelsea to win here because I think they'll have too much for Crystal Palace who are just getting started with a new style of play under a new manager. They might feel a bit tired from their game in midweek but they'll still have enough to blow Palace away.
PREDICTION: 3-0
EVERTON V SOUTHAMPTON
Everton will need to start this season well and fast if new boss Rafa Benitez is to win over the supporters. The appointment of Benitez is understandably unpopular among the fans as he used to manage rivals Liverpool which is why he needs to make an impression straight away. He's made some good signings in wingers Demarai Gray and Andros Townsend which is a good start and now he needs to get his side to deliver on the pitch.
The Toffees home form was a problem for them last season and this game gives them an opportunity to put it right. They'll have the crowd behind them which will be a massive boost as they didn't have that last season and they'll go out there with a point to prove.
Southampton ended last season pretty poorly as they slumped down to 15th having been in and around the European places at Christmas. The pressure will be on Ralph Hasenhuttl to get his side off to a good start which won't be easy as they've got a tough first two games in this one and Man United at home next weekend plus they've lost top scorer Danny Ings to Aston Villa.
Despite losing Ings, the Saints appear to have found a replacement in Adam Armstrong who netted 28 times for Blackburn in the Championship last season. They've also brought in Armand Boja on loan from Chelsea who will hopefully add some extra firepower to the attack after netting 10 times on loan at Vitesse. Bringing in two strikers and losing one looks like very smart business.
I'm going for Everton to win this one because they're better in all areas than Southampton. The Toffees don't have a great opening day record but they'll still have enough in them to win this game.
PREDICTION: 2-0
LEICESTER V WOLVES
Leicester will be feeling confident going into this campaign after adding another trophy to their collection in the Community Shield which they won last weekend by beating Man City 1-0. That will hopefully give them the motivation to win more trophies because after winning one or two, you'll want to win more so you can progress as a club. They have a strong squad on paper and because of that I can see them having a similar campaign to last season.
They've made some promising signings in Patson Daka and Boubakary Soumare plus they've got Harvey Barnes back from injury which is a massive boost because they missed him at the back end of last season. Their attack once again looks exciting going into this season.
Wolves will be looking to fare a bit better than they did last season under new boss Bruno Lage who has big shoes to fill after replacing the iconic Nuno Espirito Santo. It may take time for them to get used to his methods but on the plus side they have their talisman Raul Jimenez back. The Mexican was a massive loss for Wolves last season as they slumped down to 13th and with him back they'll hopefully fare a bit better.
I've got to go with Leicester for this one because they have more in quality and have a stronger squad. Wolves will make it close but in the end I think Leicester will just win it.
PREDICTION: 2-1
WATFORD V ASTON VILLA
Watford had the best defence in the Championship last season which will be a massive bonus for them going into this season. They've recruited well in the likes of Danny Rose and Josh King who will add a lot of Premier League experience to the side which is what every newly promoted team needs. Despite that I still think they'll struggle because I don't see a lot of goals in their side. Josh King may be proven at this level, but he didn't play a lot of football or get any goals last season so will need time to get himself sharpened up.
Aston Villa may have lost Jack Grealish to Man City, but I can still see them having a good season because of the players they've recruited. Emiliano Buendia and Leon Bailey will add extra quality to the attack as well as being replacements for Grealish whilst Danny Ings will provide competition for Ollie Watkins. With a tight defence and an exciting attack thanks to the recruitment team at the club, Villa have to be seen as outsiders for a place in Europe.
I'm going for Villa here because I think their new look attack will be too much for Watford. The Hornets may be a solid outfit and Villa may have lost Jack Grealish, but Villa have more in quality and will cause them problems with the players they have in their attack.
PREDICTION: 0-3
NORWICH V LIVERPOOL
Norwich were more solid defensively last season than they were the last time they got promoted back in 2019 which will be a big boost for them going into this season. They were criticized for being very open for much of their last spell in the top flight two seasons ago and it was one of the reasons why they went down. After having the second best defence in the Championship last season, they'll hopefully be a lot tighter at the back than they were last time.
The Canaries met Liverpool on the opening day of their last Premier League campaign two seasons ago where they lost 4-1 at Anfield. They tried to go toe to toe with the reds on that day like they did for much of that season but this time I think they'll be more cautious as Daniel Farke has found a way to make them more solid defensively.
Liverpool will be hoping for a less disruptive season than the one they had last season because they have all their senior centre backs back from injury. They had to change their defence a number of times last season due to the amount of injuries they had in that department. But with Virgil Van Dijk and Joe Gomez back from long lay offs along with Joel Matip, they hopefully won't need to make too many changes at the back. Especially with the signing of Ibrahima Konate from RB Leipzig who will bolster their options in that department.
The attack will hopefully return to their best form as they've had a summer to recover and a full pre-season to get themselves ready for this campaign. The front three were off the pace for the majority of last season because of the amount of games they had to play in a condensed season with no pre season. After having a full summer to recover, they'll be feeling refreshed and ready to go because they needed that break.
I'm going for Liverpool to win this one because they have more in quality and will feel refreshed after having a full summer to finally recover. This one won't be as one sided as it was at this stage two season ago, but I still think Liverpool will win this one.
PREDICTION: 0-2
SUNDAY:
NEWCASTLE V WEST HAM
It's been a quiet summer for Newcastle as they've not brought in many new faces. But they're close to bringing Joe Willock back on a permanent deal which would be a massive bonus because of how influential he was for them at the end of last season. Willock netted 8 times whilst on loan from Arsenal last season and if the Magpies can get that deal done, they'll be safe for another season.
The Magpies met West Ham on the opening day last season at the London Stadium where they won 2-0. That result was supposed to set the tone for the rest of the season which it didn't as the Magpies were drawn into a relegation battle. But hopefully things will be different for them this time round.
West Ham will expect a tougher season this time round as they'll be in the Europa League with a not very big squad. They haven't brought in many players over the summer with their only acquisition being the loan signing of Alphonse Areola on loan from PSG. I was expecting them to make at least two or three more signings because they need a big squad to juggle the Thursday to Saturday schedule that awaits them.
The Hammers will be happy with at least a top 10 finish this season as they probably won't be expecting another chase for Champions League. They'll of course go for those places but with last seasons top five looking strong and the teams below them looking strong as well, a top 10 finish looks to be more achievable.
I fancy Newcastle to win this one because they did the double over the Hammers last season and I can see them beat them again here. They'll have both Wilson and Saint Maximin available for this one and with those two in the side you have a chance.
PREDICTION: 1-0
TOTTENHAM V MAN CITY
This will be a season in transition for Spurs under new manager Nuno Espirito Santo following the failed experiment of Jose Mourinho. It won't be easy for them as Harry Kane could still leave for their opponents which I think he will at some stage between now and the end of the month. Getting Son tied down to a new contract is a big boost but losing Kane will be catastrophic for them.
Man City will once again be the favourites for the title this season and especially with the arrival of Jack Grealish from Aston Villa. They already had a bundle of options in attack and the arrival of Grealish has strengthened it even further. If they can get Harry Kane in, they'll definitely be champions and a striker is all they need to make sure of it.
City will be without two key players for this one in Kevin De Bruyne and Phil Foden who are both out with knocks picked up at Euro 2020. Those two missing this one will of course be a blow but City should still get something from this one because of the attacking options they have and the overall strength of their squad compared to Spurs'.
I'm going for a City win because they have more in quality and a stronger team than Spurs. Foden and De Bruyne may be out, but they'll still have enough to win the game thanks to the amount of attacking options they have. Including Jack Grealish who'll hopefully make his Premier League debut for the club.
PREDICTION: 0-2
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