Premier League Week 1 Fixtures: Opening EPL TV Schedule, Live Stream and Picks
The Premier League returns on Saturday as Leicester City defend their unlikely trophy success of 2015-16 against a host of famous teams, restructured and rebuilt with superstar coaches at their helm.
The Foxes took advantage of Manchester City and Manchester United's fluctuations in form as reigning champions Chelsea crashed and burned.
City return with Pep Guardiola in charge, while United throw everything into their new campaign, led by Jose Mourinho and new purchases Paul Pogba and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
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Chelsea have refreshed by replacing the self-proclaimed Special One with Italian master Antonio Conte, with Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur adding to the mix of central protagonists.
Here is how you can watch the opening weekend of fixtures as the world's most entertaining league kicks off in England:
| Saturday, Aug. 13 | 12:30 p.m. BST/7:30 a.m. ET | Hull City vs. Leicester City | 1-3 | Sky Sports 1, NBC Sports Live Extra |
| Saturday, Aug. 13 | 3 p.m. BST/10 a.m. ET | Burnley vs. Swansea City | 1-2 | NBC Sports Live Extra |
| Saturday, Aug. 13 | 3 p.m. BST/10 a.m. ET | Crystal Palace vs. West Bromwich Albion | 0-0 | NBC Sports Live Extra |
| Saturday, Aug. 13 | 3 p.m. BST/10 a.m. ET | Everton vs. Tottenham Hotspur | 2-1 | NBC Sports Live Extra |
| Saturday, Aug. 13 | 3 p.m. BST/10 a.m. ET | Middlesbrough vs. Stoke City | 2-1 | NBC Sports Live Extra |
| Saturday, Aug. 13 | 3 p.m. BST/10 a.m. ET | Southampton vs. Watford | 1-0 | NBC Sports Live Extra |
| Saturday, Aug. 13 | 5:30 p.m. BST/12:30 p.m. ET | Manchester City vs. Sunderland | 4-2 | BT Sport 1, NBC Sports Live Extra |
| Sunday, Aug. 14 | 1:30 p.m. BST/8:30 a.m. ET | Bournemouth vs. Manchester United | 1-2 | Sky Sports 1, NBC Sports Live Extra |
| Sunday, Aug. 14 | 4 p.m. BST/11 a.m. ET | Arsenal vs. Liverpool | 1-1 | Sky Sports 1, NBC Sports Live Extra |
| Monday, Aug. 15 | 8 p.m. BST/3 p.m. ET | Chelsea vs. West Ham United | 3-1 | Sky Sports 1, NBC Sports Live Extra |
Live streaming available via Sky Go, BT Sport Player and NBC Sports Live Extra.
Manchester City vs. Sunderland
The Premier League has witnessed a seismic shift over the summer, as Guardiola decided to abandon Bayern Munich and take over at the Etihad Stadium.
The Spanish great is yet to test himself in English football after unprecedented success in his homeland and Germany, but the task at hand at City is not a simple one.
The Sky Blues are in dire need of rebuilding after last season's league charge evaporated, as City scraped a Champions League berth due to United's inadequacies in the final weeks.
As expected, Guardiola has spent the summer finding a collection of talented players who can power his mandate, but the signing of John Stones is unlikely to bear fruit in the opening weeks of the campaign as the former Everton defender acclimatises in a weak defensive unit.
Football writer Graham Hunter commented the former Barcelona coach has been "obsessed" with the Premier League for many years (h/t Bleacher Report UK):
Sunderland enter the new campaign under new management as David Moyes replaces new England manager Sam Allardyce in the north-east.
The Black Cats produced a miraculous run at the end of last term to survive relegation to the newly rebranded EFL, boosting Big Sam's stock and driving him into the arms of the FA after England's latest international failure at Euro 2016.
Guardiola will be happy to face one of the traditionally weaker teams in the league in his opening match, but in Moyes, he has an opponent desperate to prove himself once again after his failure at Old Trafford.
The Scot boasts one of the best managerial records in Premier League history, winning 190 top-flight matches in his career and collecting 10 Manager of the Months awards, according to the Premier League.
City are destined to challenge for the title this season, but Guardiola is entering a lion's den in terms of style versus substance. It is unknown if the Spaniard's philosophy will work in England, with the breakneck speed of the game often surpassing the technical merit of continental football.
Prediction: City win 4-2
Bournemouth vs. Manchester United
After three years in the wilderness, the Red Devils have opted to turn to one of their old enemies to steer their ship back into the waters of success.
Mourinho's marriage to United was unsurprising once he finally landed at Old Trafford, but the former Chelsea boss has wasted no time in purchasing a plethora of talent.
In normal circumstances, the signing of Ibrahimovic would be the star attraction of the season after wonderful returns for Paris Saint-Germain.
However, the £89 million world-record signing of former United youth product Pogba has sent shock waves across the planet, as Mourinho plots his route back to the top of the mountain.
United looked assured as they defeated champions Leicester at Wembley in the Community Shield, where Ibrahimovic stole the show with a late winner.
The Theatre of Dreams is the perfect stage for the Sweden icon to join forces with the newly acquired superstar midfielder, as United attempt to make up for lost time after Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement.
It is almost impossible to imagine how Leicester can once again claim the title after last year's heroics, and the loss of N'Golo Kante to Chelsea will puncture the armour that served the Foxes so well in the past 12 months.
Arsenal and Chelsea have failed to make huge inroads in the transfer market during the summer, leaving United and City as the firm challengers to Claudio Ranieri's current dominance.
Prediction: United win 2-1
