English Premier League match-ups this weekend
● TODAY ARSENAL vs LEICESTER
Leicester’s £25mil (RM139mil) striker Kelechi Iheanacho is expected to start on the bench. Leicester have lost every time they have played at Emirates and not beaten Arsenal in the English Premier League since 1994. Leicester midfielder Danny Drinkwater has a thigh strain and unlikely to feature. Alexandre Lacazette will lead Arsenal’s line but Alexis Sanchez is unfit. Both sides lost their opening league games last season.
● TOMORROW WATFORD vs LIVERPOOL
Watford finished the season with five straight defeats, leading to Marco Silva’s appointment as manager. Last season’s fixture was settled by Emre Can’s spectacular bicycle kick. Nathaniel Clyne and Adam Lallana are definitely out for Liverpool, who are likely to give a league debut to record signing Mohamed Salah. Juergen Klopp’s worst defeat as Liverpool manager was 3-0 at Vicarage Road in December 2015.
CHELSEA VS BURNLEY
Burnley have never beaten Chelsea in six Premier League meetings. The visitors have lost all three of their opening-day league games. New Chelsea striker Alvaro Morata scored 115 goals from 55 shots, a conversion rate of 27.3%, for Real Madrid in La Liga last season. Chelsea have won more points, 183, in August than any other Premier League team. Burnley had the second-worst Premier League away record last season, winning just one game.
CRYSTAL PALACE vs HUDDERSFIELD
Huddersfield are playing their first top-flight game for 45 years. Frank de Boer is Crystal Palace’s sixth manager since they gained promotion in 2013. New signings Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Jairo Riedeweld are both likely to make their league debuts for Palace. Promoted Huddersfield signed 10 players in the transfer window, including striker Steve Mounie from Montpellier. Huddersfield have lost just one of their past 12 league meetings with Palace, and not lost at Selhurst Park since 1988.
EVERTON vs STOKE
Stoke won their last away Premier League game at Southampton but have not recorded back-toback away league wins since October 2015. Stoke manager Mark Hughes last won an opening-day game in 2009 with Manchester City and hasn’t won any of his past six with three different clubs. Despite splashing out more than £90mil (RM500mil) this summer, Everton’s net spending is only £7mil (RM39mil). Wayne Rooney is primed to play his first league game for Everton since 2004. Everton have scored 30 home goals in 2017, more than anyone else.
SOUTHAMPTON vs SWANSEA
Southampton have never won an opening-day Premier League home fixture while Swansea have 10 points from 18 in curtain-raisers since their 2011 promotion. Only relegated Sunderland scored fewer home league goals than Southampton’s 17. Southampton’s Virgil van Dijk will be missing after submitting a transfer request. Southampton’s manager Mauricio Pellegrino is their 10th in as many years.
WEST BROM vs BOURNEMOUTH
Only Romelu Lukaku (15) and Harry Kane (21) have scored more goals than Bournemouth striker Josh King (13) in 2017. West Brom have won twice in 11 previous opening-day Premier League games (D3, L6) while Bournemouth have lost their only two. Bournemouth conceded 38 away league goals; only Watford (39) and Hull (45) gave away more goals. New Bournemouth signing Jermain Defoe expects to be fit despite missing the Napoli friendly with a groin strain.
BRIGHTON vs MAN CITY
Brighton are playing their first game in the top flight for 34 years and first ever in Premier League. Brighton midfielder Beram Kayal is ruled out with broken leg. City splashed out close to £200mil (RM1.1bil) in transfer window, the most an English club have ever spent. City have won eight out of their past 11 opening-day fixtures. Brighton captain Bruno and City’s David Silva were team-mates at Valencia.
● SUNDAY
NEWCASTLE vs TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
Spurs are the only Premier League club not to spend any money in the transfer window. Newcastle beat Spurs 5-1 on the final day of the 2015-16 season when they were relegated. Newcastle manager Rafa Benitez has never been beaten in eight Premier League home games against Spurs (W5 D3). This is the seventh successive time Spurs have started a Premier League season away.
MAN UTD vs WEST HAM
Former Manchester City players Joe Hart and Pablo Zabaleta and ex-Manchester United striker Javier Hernandez return to Manchester to make their competitive debuts for West Ham. Jose Mourinho has won the league title in his second season with Porto, Chelsea (twice), Inter Milan and Real Madrid. West Ham have lost more opening-day fixtures than any other Premier League club (10). Five of West Ham’s last six league goals against United have come from set pieces. Romelu Lukaku normally scores against West Ham, managing it seven times in succession before missing out last time.