Premier League Week 1 Fixtures: Start Times and Predictions for Entire Slate

After three months out of action, this weekend sees the 2013-14 Premier League season get underway, with the campaign holding as much promise for excitement as any to have come before it.

Considering all the managerial changes, transfer sagas and potential for change in the division’s power balance, there won’t be a moment unworthy of fan attention.

With that being the case, it’s essential to know when and where each of the opening weekend's fixtures kicks off.

Read on to find out when the English top flight’s Week 1 fixtures are set to commence, as well as a prediction for how those encounters will pan out.

Potential Week 1 Thrillers

Arsenal vs. Aston Villa

A tale of two clubs who have undergone very, very different summers, Arsenal and Aston Villa’s Saturday meeting should provide more entertainment than their clashes last season, where only three goals were scored across their two league clashes.

While Paul Lambert’s visitors have been incredibly busy with their summer spending, bringing in a raft of young talent in areas that needed it, Arsene Wenger is yet to purchase even one player.

With Christian Benteke enjoying some fine scoring form in preseason after penning a contract extension in Birmingham, the Villans have a keen scoring threat, and one who’s in high spirits at that.

However, Olivier Giroud has been in some good form, too, and will look to make his second season in North London a lot more fruitful than his first.

Arsenal have managed to release a lot of dead weight from their roster, however, and the visit of Aston Villa will be the first test as to just how strong the current Gunners squad can be.

Sunderland vs. Fulham

This summer saw both Sunderland and Fulham get to their transfer business in very early fashion. Paolo Di Canio was looking to turn things around in his new northeast post while Martin Jol’s job was to turn around a disappointing end to Fulham’s 2012-13 season.

With that initiative, both clubs have improved dramatically in some of the areas that have needed it, although time remains to fill voids which might, and do, still exist.

Despite both finishing in the bottom half of the Premier League last term, both of these sides can hope for a top-half outcome in 2013-14 after making substantial renovations, a lot of which has been in attack.

With Emanuele Giaccherini, Jozy Altidore, David Moberg Karlsson and others joining the Black Cats, Di Canio will look to encourage a much more offensive outlook. For the Cottagers, Adel Taarabt’s loaning could spell the start of a very fruitful relationship alongside Dimitar Berbatov, Bryan Ruiz and other West London talents.

Given that both teams won’t have highlighted their defence as a veritable strength last season, both Sunderland and Fulham are set for a season of unknown proportions, making for an enigmatic opener at the Stadium of Light.

Chelsea vs. Hull City

After coming up from the Championship, there’s few teams Hull City will have wanted to play less than Europa League title winners and current Premier League favourites Chelsea.

However, the reality for Steve Bruce’s minnows is that Jose Mourinho’s Blues are the first giant in need of killing this season, although that’s not likely to be the case at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.

Having made some significant improvements to the squad with minimal losses, Mourinho’s men are again one of the deepest (if not the deepest) squads in the division, particularly in attack.

Unfortunately for the Tigers, their own renovations aren’t quite enough to give them any sort of hope of staying within reach of their West London hosts, at least not on paper.

A thriller for all the wrong reasons, the onslaught of talent at Chelsea promises to run rampant on opening weekend, in what will be the first exhibition of what we might expect from the club this term.