After one of the best World Cup tournaments that I have experienced in my lifetime, the Premier League is back less than a month after the World Cup Final was played.
Teams have been shaping their squads much earlier than usual after the decision was made to move the summer transfer window forward to end before the new season began for the first time. Most clubs looked happy enough with the decision to do that, but some have missed out on adding significantly to the squad with two of the top four from last season being particularly quiet.
Both Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur have to believe they have a squad to at least maintain their top four spots, but they don't look like they will be much closer to Manchester City and Liverpool could have overtaken both.
I will have my first 'United Corner' of the season posted in the middle of next week, but a short summary of the summer is it has been an underwhelming window and Jose Mourinho will have to get more out of players that he has signed previously. The arrival of Fred looks a good piece of business and Alexis Sanchez will be at his most freshest at this time of the season for years after Chile missed out on the World Cup so there is plenty of positives to take into the season rather than the 'doom and gloom' we have seen.
More on that next week once the Leicester fixture is out of the way.
The title race looks like it will come down to Manchester City and Liverpool which really is tough to write or read for any Manchester United fan out there. However they look the two teams to beat although I still give Manchester City a slight edge which may see them retain the Premier League title and become the first club to do that since Manchester United a decade ago.
I expect Chelsea and Arsenal to be closer to the top four this season and it could be a case of four teams trying to get into what looks like two places. Both Chelsea and Arsenal have new voices in the dressing room though and it may take some time to really get a feel for what Maurizio Sarri and Unai Emery want from the players at those respective clubs and so both Chelsea and Arsenal may be looking at the Europa League as a better route back into the Champions League.
The middle of the Premier League can always see teams move up and down very quickly as we saw last season and I am not convinced Burnley will be able to be as productive as they were in the 2017/18 season. The possible addition of the Europa League for a small squad will make it much tougher to finish as high as 7th especially with the likes of Everton, Crystal Palace, West Ham United, Leicester City, Wolves and Fulham all looking like they have strong squads and could possibly sneak into European Football for next season.
Those clubs will all be looking for a strong League Cup or FA Cup run too as some new faces enter the Premier League following promotion from the Championship and other clubs have new managers taking charge.
The relegation battle looks an interesting one this season, but I would be surprised if Cardiff City can follow the likes of Huddersfield Town and Brighton and surprisingly avoid an immediate return to the Championship. For all of the praise Neil Warnock gets, he has regularly been found out at the Premier League level and the squad looks to lack the quality to survive at this level.
I also expect Huddersfield Town to struggle having earned the majority of the points in the first half of the season. They finished with the 19th best record in the Premier League during the second half and have a difficult opening to 2018/19 which may leave The Terriers fighting against relegation from the opening weekend.
Southampton and Watford both had difficult times in the second half of the season, but I expect the former to be better under Mark Hughes and Watford always seem to do enough to avoid the drop.
Personally I would be worried as a Newcastle United fan, especially if Rafa Benitez decides enough is enough, and Brighton will be another club who could have a difficult second season at this level.
The World Cup turned out to be a very productive tournament for the Football Picks with a winning record on the board from an exciting World Cup Finals. Last season was much more difficult with some difficult months knocking me back, but a new season is always a time for optimism and below you can see the opening picks from the new season which begins on Friday 10th August 2018.
Manchester United v Leicester City Pick: Less than a month after the World Cup Final was played and won by France the Premier League is back in action much to the disgust of Jose Mourinho.
It has been a difficult pre-season for Mourinho and Manchester United with so many players involved in the latter stages of the World Cup, but the negative attitude of the manager has to be a worry going into his third season as manager of this club.
Most of those players won't be involved on Friday night and Manchester United are hoping they have added to the squad before the Summer Transfer Window closes on Thursday. Any addition is unlikely to be involved on Friday anyway so it is up to some younger players like Andrea Pereira or new signings like Fred to make an immediate impact for the club.
Mourinho has suggested Leicester City are in a better position than Manchester United to begin the Premier League, but The Foxes have lost Riyad Mahrez this summer and are unlikely to have Harry Maguire and Jamie Vardy for the opening fixture.
Claude Puel is also under pressure to make a strong start with so many questioning his credentials as manager of Leicester City. Without some key players it may be difficult for Leicester City to make a good start at Old Trafford, but they could dig in and make life very difficult for a Manchester United team who have not been the most threatening going forward in their pre-season games.
Pre-season doesn't mean a lot, but Manchester United are missing some key players which may restrict their attacking creativity. However they are facing a Leicester City team who lost at 7 of the 8 clubs that finished above them last season and who were beaten by 8 of the top 9 the season before last too.
However it feels it may take some time for Manchester United in this one and I am not anticipating a lot of goals even if 4 of the last 5 between these clubs have finished with at least three goals shared out. The exception came at Old Trafford last season and the potential absence of Vardy coupled with Mahrez' exit from the club suggests goals could be tough to find here.
I do think Manchester United will edge it though with Alexis Sanchez and Juan Mata able to create enough for the home team. It may not always be pretty but backing Manchester United to win a game featuring no more than three goals looks a decent price at odds against.
Newcastle United v Tottenham Hotspur Pick: The upheaval at Newcastle United shows very little sign of settling down but every time you think Mike Ashley will think about selling the club he tightens his grip and refuses to let go.
Once again Ashley has cut the purse strings to manager Rafa Benitez and so this looks another season in which the Spanish manager will have to get more out of this squad of players than looks possible.
Goals have been a problem for Newcastle United and I am not convinced Solomon Rondon will be the answer, while they are a team who can struggle under the weight of expectation the home fans have of them. However Benitez has managed to use the passion in a strong enough way that Newcastle United won more Premier League home games than the likes of Burnley and Crystal Palace last season.
The players were clearly encouraged when the big clubs visited too having lost just 2 games at St James' Park to the top six in the Premier League. One of those losses did come against Tottenham Hotspur, but it was goalless until Jonjo Shelvey was sent off and this looks another tough opening away fixture for Spurs who played here on opening weekend last season.
This time Tottenham Hotspur have a number of players returning from the World Cup who may not be involved from the off. That could include the likes of Dele Alli, Jan Vertonghen and Harry Kane although the latter two could earn a start here as Tottenham Hotspur look for a positive opening to the season.
The lack of pre-season for those players has to be a concern and you can see why Tottenham Hotspur are odds against to win here. Spurs have managed to find a way to win in 3 of their last 4 visits to this part of the North East though and I think they may edge out this Newcastle United team whose players refused to fulfil TV commitments earlier this week because of a row about bonuses.
It may be a distraction that prevents the home team from being at their very best and I think this Tottenham Hotspur squad is more settled. Even with the World Cup players potentially missing out, I will back Tottenham Hotspur to find a victory on a tough ground and I will back them on the Asian Handicap to secure that.
Bournemouth v Cardiff City Pick: I am not a big fan of Neil Warnock but I respect what he has managed to do in his career by guiding a number of clubs up to the Premier League.
Warnock helped Cardiff City to a surprise promotion last season but he has been found out previously in the Premier League and this squad doesn't look like one that is equipped to survive in the top flight.
In saying that Warnock will make Cardiff City tough to beat and this group of players will have an adrenaline rush following promotion which makes them dangerous early in the campaign. We saw that work for Huddersfield Town last season and a strong start to the season will give Cardiff City every chance of surviving, while Neil Warnock came close to keeping Sheffield United in the Premier League a decade ago.
The opening weekend will give us some clue as to what to expect from Cardiff City when they visit a Bournemouth team who are looking for more consistency this season. Eddie Howe wasn't all that impressed with the way The Cherries ended the 2017/18 season and there hasn't been a host of arrivals at the club which has made Bournemouth a 'dark horse' pick for relegation.
Personally I think Bournemouth are a little too good to go down as they have tended to beat the teams they should to keep their heads above water. 5 of their 7 home wins came against teams that finished below them in the Premier League table including beating all 3 teams that were eventually relegated, while the season before Bournemouth had 9 home wins and 7 against those that finished below them.
Even in that season they beat 2 of the 3 relegated clubs and I think that will be the outcome of this fixture if the season predictions are correct. I do think Cardiff City will struggle and Bournemouth have tended to win fixtures like this one so I will back the home team to secure the three points here.
Opening day can be a tough weekend to predict results as shown when Huddersfield Town crushed Crystal Palace 0-3 and Burnley won 2-3 at Stamford Bridge last season. Cardiff City have plenty of momentum having earned promotion back in May, but Bournemouth have enough goals to break them down here and I will look for Eddie Howe's men to get off to a positive start.
Fulham v Crystal Palace Pick: The return of Fulham to the Premier League will be met with some excitement by the home fans as well as visiting ones who have always enjoyed Craven Cottage.
This looks a good football team that have come up from the Championship and Fulham have made some good looking signings which will have the fans believing they can join Huddersfield Town and avoid relegation after coming up through the Play Offs.
Ryan Sessegnon may receive the majority of the attention from the media, but it is the signing of Jean Michael Seri that has really raised the eyebrows. Craven Cottage is going to be a key venue for Fulham if they are going to avoid the drop and this looks like being a tough place for any team to visit.
However the style of football may also encourage visitors to play their own attacking football and Crystal Palace have plenty of pace to challenge Fulham. The Eagles only won 4 of their 19 away League games last season although 3 of those came against teams that finished in the bottom five of the table.
Keeping Wilfried Zaha, which Crystal Palace have at the time of writing, could be huge for Roy Hodgson in having another successful season at the club. He will offer a real attacking threat from Crystal Palace and I think they play their part in what could be an entertaining fixture on the opening weekend of the season.
Fulham are unlikely to have dropped their attacking style from last season and Crystal Palace will feel they can exploit spaces with the pace they have. Games between Fulham and Crystal Palace have produced plenty of goals in their most recent meetings and these two teams can continue that trend with the attackers that will be on display here.
Slightly cooler weather in London should help in creating an entertaining spectacle and I will back at least three goals to be shared out between these clubs.
Huddersfield Town v Chelsea Pick: There is absolutely no doubt that it is going to take some time to see the best of Chelsea under Maurizio Sarri regardless of the comings and goings at the club. Losing Thibaut Courtois, which looks very likely when I am writing this, is a blow, but it is better than losing Eden Hazard who could have a huge season under Sarri and the attacking style the former Napoli manager will bring to the club.
It is a different style to what was demanded of the players from Antonio Conte and that is the main reason it may take some time to bed in. Any new signings might not begin to make the impact Sarri would want until they get used to playing in the Premier League and so the first couple of months may be difficult for Chelsea.
Even with that in mind I do think they will have too much quality for this Huddersfield Town team who have not made the kind of improvements they would have perhaps needed from last season. David Wagner does get plenty out of his players and they should be a little more ready than Chelsea who may not have Hazard or Willian in their starting line up.
That does make this a dangerous opening game for Chelsea but I do think they can put the pressure on the home team with the high press that will be demanded of them from the manager. Last season Chelsea were beaten 2-3 at home by Burnley so you can't rule out the upset, but I think Huddersfield Town may continue to struggle for goals which is a real issue for them in their fight to avoid the drop.
Huddersfield Town were beaten in 5 of their 6 home games against the top six clubs last season and they conceded at least two goals in 4 of those defeats. Chelsea can still call on enough quality to win this fixture and I think they can force a few mistakes from The Terriers which can help them earn an important three points to open this season.
I can see the home team playing their part in this one, especially with Chelsea being slight undercooked for the new season, but ultimately I think The Blues will have too much for them. Backing the away team to win a game which features at least two goals looks a decent price here and that is the way I will approach this opening weekend fixture.
Wolves v Everton Pick: There is a new era dawning at both Wolves and Everton and they get a chance to see where each club stands when they meet on the opening weekend of the Premier League 2018/19 season.
Some may suggest Wolves entered a new era last season when they dominated the Championship, but the return to the Premier League will still be a real challenge for this squad of players. The lack of experience of playing in the Premier League is a real concern and a poor start can see things spiral, although Wolves performed well enough in the Championship to think they can have success at this level too.
For Everton they have finally been able to bring in Marco Silva as manager of the club and he is beginning to shape the squad to his liking. The real key for the new manager will be getting more out of the players already with the Everton squad although I expect more additions to add to Richarlison and Lucas Digne ahead of the close of the transfer window which will give Everton a boost.
There are some solid players already here and Silva's attacking style may be able to get the best of them. His time with Watford showed that Silva's style can work in the Premier League, although he will want Everton to show more defensively having been inconsistent at the back.
Signing a new centre half may help in the long term, but the short term of this fixture it may be more of an issue for Everton. This Wolves team scored 47 goals in 23 home League games last season and they have added Joao Moutinho to give them more creativity so I would expect them to challenge this Everton team when they go forward.
The same could be said for Everton who have some quality attacking players that may be pleased to be playing in Marco Silva's system. Scoring goals was something of an issue for Everton away from home, but Silva's Watford were a free-scoring team and I think Everton will be set up to be very positive going forward to get the best out of Richarlison, Theo Walcott and Cenk Tosun.
It really feels this could be a good game of football to watch on Saturday afternoon in the second of the live offerings from the Premier League. Both teams should have the chances to get on the scoreboard and the 1-1 score is a real player, but I believe both Nuno Espirito Santo and Marco Silva will be looking to get a positive start on the board for their clubs and they could easily share out three goals.
At the prices it looks worth backing goals in this one and I will look for at least three to be scored at Molineux on Saturday.
Liverpool v West Ham United Pick: The first Premier League game to be shown live on Sunday in the 2018/19 will come from Anfield as one of the hot tips to win the Premier League open their League campaign against West Ham United.
Put aside the fact that Jurgen Klopp has proven to be a hypocrite for criticising the amount of money other clubs spend just two seasons ago and you can see why Liverpool are considered the club most likely to challenge Manchester City for the Premier League title this season.
They have made big purchases to improve the problematic goalkeeping position as well as upgrading their midfield options by bringing in Fabinho and Naby Keita. With a front three who look full of goals, Liverpool fans will be expecting big silverware at the end of the season having come so close to winning the Champions League in May.
The squad depth has been added to by bringing in Xherdan Shaqiri too and it is no surprise that Liverpool are big favourites to beat West Ham United on Sunday.
However Manuel Pellegrini has arrived at West Ham United and immediately made an impact by being given the funds to make some quality additions to the club. A strong pre-season has many of the fans believing this is going to be a very strong season for The Hammers and the owners will be hoping the same to avoid the unsavoury scenes that have been seen at the London Stadium in the last couple of years.
It is a huge test from the off for West Ham United who have been given a difficult looking start to the season in terms of fixtures. They have to head to Arsenal in a couple of weeks and also have to play at Everton and host Chelsea and Manchester United before the end of September.
Even then I do think this is an improved West Ham United team and I think they will offer a real test to Liverpool on Sunday. You can only imagine Liverpool will be better at Anfield than last season when they drew too many games here, but the defensive injuries will give West Ham United a chance to play a part here in a Stadium where they have enjoyed some success in recent years.
West Ham United scored in both heavy losses to Liverpool last season and they have looked good in pre-season while also having a squad that looks to be clearer of injuries than at most points last season. With Liverpool likely missing some of their defensive options for this one, West Ham United can score here for the 4th time in 6 visits to Anfield.
It is almost impossible to think Liverpool won't score having managed that in 16 of their 19 home League games last season and I will back both teams to do that in this live game.
Arsenal v Manchester City Pick: Unai Emery is going to be welcomed as Arsenal manager for the first time in the Premier League this weekend and he might be wondering who he has offended to be given such a difficult start to the new era at the Emirates Stadium.
Facing Champions Manchester City and then heading to Stamford Bridge the following week is a tough opening to the season for any club, but Arsenal have to try and embrace the challenge.
In all honesty they may not be able to play Manchester City or Chelsea at a better time with both clubs bringing back key performers who played in the latter stages of the World Cup and Chelsea also having a new manager and new ideas to implement.
Even then it will be a tough test for Arsenal and Emery who has made some decent signings for his new club as they bid to move on from the Arsene Wenger era. Arsenal look like they could be closer to the top four this season having finished 12 points behind 4th placed Liverpool in May, although the challenge will be improving away from home.
At the Emirates Stadium Arsenal won 15 of 19 League games last season and they managed 14 wins from 19 the season before. However both losses here last season came against the top two teams and the Arsenal players won't have forgotten the way they were beaten by Manchester City in all 3 games against them in the 2017/18 season.
Arsenal conceded three times in all of those games and were well beaten in the League Cup Final while they were 0-3 down after 33 minutes in the League game here. At least this Manchester City team could be without the likes of Kevin De Bruyne, David Silva and Raheem Sterling, but even then they showed how good they could be in their dominant Community Shield win over Chelsea last weekend.
Riyad Mahrez has come in to give Pep Guardiola more options while Benjamin Mendy's return from injury means the left back position has been improved from last season. This is definitely going to be a tough place to play this season for visiting teams with the tactically astute Unai Emery unlikely to leave Arsenal as open as Arsene Wenger may have done, but there is still a real gap in quality between these clubs.
I do think Arsenal will be improved from last season and they have an attacking threat that cannot be ignored, but Manchester City may just have a little too much for them. While The Gunners have signed some defensive reinforcements, I am not sure it is enough to keep out a very good Manchester City team with creativity running through the side and I am willing to back the Champions at odds against to win here.
Some of the absentees are a blow for Manchester City, but they may still dominate possession and that can lead to the Champions earning the three points in a tough live game to be played on Sunday afternoon.
MY PICKS: Manchester United to Win & Under 3.5 Goals @ 2.10 Boyle Sports (2 Units)
Tottenham Hotspur - 0.25 Asian Handicap @ 1.80 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Bournemouth @ 2.00 Bet Fred (2 Units)
Fulham-Crystal Palace Over 2.5 Goals @ 2.00 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Chelsea to Win & Over 1.5 Goals @ 2.00 Ladbrokes (2 Units)
Wolves-Everton Over 2.5 Goals @ 2.20 Betfair Sportsbook (2 Units)
Liverpool-West Ham United Both Teams to Score @ 1.91 Bet365 (2 Units)
Manchester City @ 1.95 Bet Fred (2 Units)
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