Premier League Week 1 Fixtures: Opening-Season EPL Picks and Predictions
Manchester United begin the 2018/19 Premier League season against Leicester City at Old Trafford on Friday, but there are also tough fixtures for the rest of last season's top six.
Tottenham Hotspur will get Saturday under way with a tricky away trip to take on Newcastle United. Saturday will also see Maurizio Sarri make his league debut in the Chelsea dugout, as the Blues travel to face Huddersfield Town and put the Italian's vision of free-flowing football into practice.
Champions Manchester City are at Arsenal on Sunday, with Unai Emery taking his league bow as Gunners boss after succeeding Arsene Wenger this summer. Earlier in the day, a Liverpool side fancied by many to be City's biggest challenger will host new-look West Ham United at Anfield.
Week 1 Fixtures and Predictions
Friday, August 10
- Manchester United vs. Leicester City, 8 p.m. BST/3 p.m. ET: 3-1
Saturday, August 11
- Newcastle United vs. Tottenham Hotspur, 12:30 p.m. BST/7:30 a.m. ET: 1-1
- Bournemouth vs. Cardiff City, 3 p.m. BST/10 a.m. ET: 2-1
- Fulham vs. Crystal Palace, 3 p.m. BST/10 a.m. ET: 2-2
- Huddersfield Town vs. Chelsea, 3 p.m. BST/10 a.m. ET: 1-2
- Watford vs. Brighton & Hove Albion, 3 p.m. BST/10 a.m. ET: 0-0
- Wolverhampton Wanderers vs. Everton, 5:30 p.m. BST/12:30 p.m. ET: 0-2
Sunday, August 12
- Liverpool vs. West Ham United, 1:30 p.m. BST/8:30 a.m ET: 2-2
- Southampton vs. Burnley, 1:30 p.m. BST/8:30 a.m. ET: 1-1
- Arsenal vs. Manchester City, 4 p.m. BST/11 a.m. ET: 1-2
Manchester vs. Leicester City
United's pre-season preparations have been contentious, to say the least. Manager Jose Mourinho appears to have lost his smile as injuries have mounted, while the club's efforts in the transfer market have been slower than he expected.
The Portuguese's public frustration has caused unrest among some United players and staff members, according to Luke Edwards and James Ducker of The Telegraph.
Mourinho has been left angered by star midfielder Paul Pogba not ending his holiday early after helping France win this summer's FIFA World Cup in Russia, per Tuttosport (h/t Calciomercato).
United's manager has also been left clinging to the hope of one more signing being secured before the window shuts on August 9, per BBC Sport's Simon Stone. The need for reinforcements was underlined when holding midfielder Nemanja Matic was ruled out after surgery.
Despite Mourinho's gripes, his squad is still well-enough equipped to beat the Foxes on opening night. Summer signing Fred will get his first chance to anchor a midfield where Mourinho can still call upon Ander Herrera, Juan Mata and Scott McTominay.
Up front, Alexis Sanchez can decide any game with his flair. The 29-year-old has struggled somewhat in a United shirt since joining the Red Devils from Arsenal back in January. However, a full pre-season should help the Chile international return to his match-winning best.
Leicester will be missing a spark in the final third after selling Riyad Mahrez to reigning champions Manchester City. It leaves Fousseni Diabate tasked with keeping the supply lines open to striker Jamie Vardy.
The Foxes won't have enough firepower to puncture United's defence, while Sanchez and Co. can create the goals Mourinho's men will need to start with a win and quiet the negative noise around the club, at least for the moment.
Huddersfield Town vs. Chelsea
All eyes will be on Sarri when Chelsea arrive at the John Smith's Stadium. The 59-year-old likes his teams to play a stylish, possession-based game.
His approach will rely on getting more from playmakers Cesc Fabregas and Ross Barkley. They were often overlooked by predecessor Antonio Conte, but both possess the technique and vision to make Sarri's plans work.
New boy Jorginho will also be a key figure after acting as the hub of possession for Sarri at Napoli:
Regardless of who pulls the creative strings for Chelsea, the burden is on Alvaro Morata to finish moves off. It's something the misfiring striker couldn't do during a recent match against Arsenal in the International Champions Cup.
Despite his struggles, Morata remains committed to Chelsea, telling the Daily Mirror (h/t Sky Sports): "The only thing I have in my head now is to score, score, score!"
Morata will get chances against a Huddersfield back line reinforced by the signings of full-back Erik Durm from Borussia Dortmund and Terence Kongolo from AS Monaco.
Chelsea will pay for early profligacy before their pass-masters eventually take over.
Arsenal vs. Manchester City
City owned Arsenal during Wenger's final season in charge, beating the Gunners three times—including in the 2018 Carabao Cup final—by an aggregate score of 9-1.
The bad news for Arsenal is City's record-breaking, title-winning squad is largely intact. Mahrez is the marquee addition, joining Raheem Sterling and Leroy Sane to give manager Pep Guardiola an enviable contingent of creative wide forwards.
While the Citizens are largely unchanged, Arsenal have a new look after Emery spent most of the summer adding to the group Wenger left behind. Goalkeeper Bernd Leno, defenders Sokratis Papastathopoulos and Stephan Lichtsteiner, along with midfielders Lucas Torreira and Matteo Guendouzi, have all been signed during the window.
While Emery is reshaping the squad, he also has some top-class attacking talent at his disposal. Fitting Mesut Ozil, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang into the same starting XI will be a challenge Emery should welcome.
Yet his bigger task will be reversing a dismal history against Guardiola. The former Almeria, Valencia, Sevilla and Paris Saint-Germain boss has found overcoming Guardiola an elusive goal:
Emery won't get off the mark against Guardiola on his debut in the English top flight, either. City are still slicker on the ball and more confident in front of goal than an Arsenal squad engineering a tricky transition from the Wenger era.
