EPL kicks off on Friday night
Manchester United and Leicester City lift the curtain on the new EPL season this Friday with defending champs and 2018 Community Shield winners Manchester City going into action on Sunday.
The Premier League in England kicks off on Friday as Jose Mourinho, fresh from a pre-season tour of America spent bemoaning the absence of his World Cup players, pits his Manchester United side against Leicester City in the opening game of the campaign.
It was not the sort of preparation to instil confidence in their supporters, who are keen for the Red Devils to prove more competitive against their neighbours Manchester City than they did last season.
No one could compete with the rampant City and there are few betting that this campaign will be any different, even if there have been overhauls at Arsenal and Chelsea, and Liverpool have looked slick in preparatory games over the last week.
Do not expect anything approaching the success that City had last season when they kick off the defence of their title, but do expect them to still be the dominant team.
Manager Pep Guardiola is saying it will be impossible to break the records the team set in the 2017-18 campaign. But they can attempt to become the first team in a decade to win back-to-back titles since Manchester United did it in 2008 and 2009.
Last season City set a league record of 100 points, enjoyed the biggest title-winning margin, scored the most goals, had the most wins and the most away victories too, and produced the best goal difference.
Guardiola knows this season’s target must be the Champions League, which was the one competition in which they flopped.
This distraction might give the other contenders a glimmer of hope in the Premier League chase, but pound-for-pound City still box like super-heavyweights with the rest in a weaker division.
City’s first game is at Arsenal on Sunday, a tough start for new Gunners manager Unai Emery who has replaced Arsene Wenger. A draw might suit both sides.
Liverpool host West Ham on Sunday in an easier start for Jurgen Klopp’s team, although the Hammers have bought with gusto in the pre-season build-up. Expect a home win. Chelsea, whose World Cup stars only return from holiday this week, will be weakened through the first weeks of the new season.
Their first game is on Saturday away against Huddersfield, where there is the possibility of a shock outcome, or at the very least dropped points for the Stamford Bridge club.