English Premier League Football Picks Game Week 2 2026/27 (Friday 28th August-Monday 31st August 2026)

By the end of this weekend, fans of those clubs playing in Europe this season will be able to plot out the schedule until the end of January with only the League Cup creating extra games and with a single Round of the FA Cup to be played.

It is an exciting time, but things can change pretty quickly for all supporters if a poor opening weekend result turns into a longer slump as expectations remain pretty fluid at the end of August.

This season the calendar has changed so there are five Premier League games, the Third Round of the League Cup and one Match Day of the Champions League/Europa League to be completed before we get into the first international break of the season.

A decision was made to make that opening break a little longer than usual as the Nations League gets underway in the UEFA Confederation, but it does mean teams have an opportunity to build some early momentum and allow new signings to settle in before they head away with international teams.

There are a number of teams who will be looking to produce stronger results in the second week of the Premier League season, notably Manchester United and Aston Villa, and it is the opening home fixture of the campaign for ten of the twenty top flight clubs. Fans will arrive with huge smiles, but things can turn sour pretty quickly, even at this very early stage of the season, and so it is up to the players and management staff to make sure that is not the case.

It all adds up to another important week in the Premier League, which is once again 'blessed' with a Friday Night Football match (good news for supporters who have to work being forced to travel for a game where you are almost certainly not going to be able to get public transport back home).

Crystal Palace vs Manchester City: Late goals prevented the early Enzo Maresca era as manager of Manchester City beginning with a lot of critics asking questions of the tactics employed, but the Italian will be hoping for a much more comfortable experience in the weeks and months ahead.

Manchester City did not play badly, but they were wasteful early and the defensive issues were clear to see.

A response has been to spend another big fee on another midfielder and Manchester City continue to be linked with a move for Enzo Fernandez to bolster options further.

Enzo Maresca should have a more settled midfield for this fixture, but he will be aware that Crystal Palace will be looking to recover from a disappointing loss at Everton.

The Eagles deserved more than they got, but they need this transfer window to close if only to see squad players settle down and focus on the task at hand. Being without Ismaila Sarr is a blow, but Jean-Philippe Mateta will lead the line and they should have chances.

Games between the clubs have featured plenty of goals in recent times and this Friday night offering could be another.

Fantasy: Erling Haaland is not likely to miss the same chances he did last week, but the standout play for Manchester City may be Phil Foden, despite a quiet outing. He was getting into stronger positions in the second half after tactical shifts were made and Foden still has something to prove to keep Rayan Cherki out of the team.

Liverpool vs Nottingham Forest: It has been a tough opening week for manager Oliver Glasner and things are not going to get easier when taking his Nottingham Forest team to Anfield.

The players may be reminding the manager that they have won here twice in a row in the top flight, but a new system is still go through teething issues and Nottingham Forest have struggled to create much in the final third in the first couple of games.

They will have seen the vulnerabilities Liverpool have in defensive areas, and Nottingham Forest can be dangerous on the counter, but a first home game of the season under a new manager should mean a decent atmosphere is created for the Liverpool players to perform.

A 2-2 draw at Newcastle United may not be a bad result in the long-term, but Liverpool will feel they created enough to earn the three points and they can get the better of this visitor on Saturday in the early kick off slot.

Fantasy: A new £100 million plus signing is set to arrive at Anfield, but the fans need to see more from the two who arrived last summer- Florian Wirtz had another 'nothing game' last week, but Alexander Isak can benefit from the chances the team should be able to create.

Bournemouth vs Everton: The key for Marco Rose is keeping hold of key players before the transfer window and he will be hoping Bournemouth may be able to bring in a couple of signings that could ease the burden on the squad.

The extra Europa League games are going to be challenging for the club, but Bournemouth fans will be very excited about the coming months.

It will be easier to remain that way if Bournemouth can put some solid Premier League points on the board sooner than later and they will feel they should have earned a positive result at Manchester City last weekend.

Everton arrive after putting two wins and two clean sheets on the board, but they were not at their best in seeing off Crystal Palace.

Work is being done to try and give David Moyes more options, but this has regularly been a tough place for Everton to visit and they need to be much more solid defensively if they are going to pick up any points this week.

Fantasy: There may be better games to target, but if Bournemouth are going to have success, Marcus Tavernier may have to maintain the form he has been producing for some time.

Coventry City vs Hull City: Two promoted clubs earned opening three points in the Premier League, but it is the Champions of the second tier who missed out.

Coventry City clearly had the toughest assignment, but it is Hull City who head into the second weekend of the season with the biggest upset having beaten Manchester United at home.

Frank Lampard will know this is a very important game for his team, but losing at Arsenal is not going to define them like a fixture like this one and that is what the players will be reminded of all week.

Both fixtures between these clubs ended goalless last season and there may be little between them again- Coventry City had been the stronger team when they met at the CBS Arena and that may see them win a tight fixture.

Fantasy: If you have selected defenders from either of these teams, there is a real opportunity to play them this weekend... The lean would be with the Coventry City defenders and Ben Thomas should retain his place in the starting eleven even after Ethan Pinnock arrived from Brentford to give the squad some Premier League experience.

Tottenham Hotspur vs Newcastle United: The fans of both of these clubs may be a little unsure what to expect after the opening weekend results, although Tottenham Hotspur entered the season with the greater expectations overall.

Any team that has spent like Spurs will have raised expectations, but Roberto De Zerbi may need some time to mould the starting eleven together and facing Newcastle United has regularly been challenging in recent seasons for the North London club.

Tottenham Hotspur will sense the visitors have vulnerabilities at the back, but the pace in the forward areas makes Newcastle United dangerous and this is a fixture that tends to produce plenty of goals.

Picking a winner is not easy, but Newcastle United have enjoyed recent games at this Stadium and ultimately a 2-1 scoreline either way would not be a surprise.

Fantasy: The signings of Savinho (or Savio as he is now known) and Omar Marmoush gives Tottenham Hotspur some solid options in the forward areas, while the likes of Micky van de Ven and Pedro Porro should shore them up at the back. One of the key performers in the pre-season was Mathys Tel and he may be ready to have an impact in what is looking like a potentially high-scoring fixture.

Chelsea vs Brighton Pick: These two teams could not have asked for a better opening to the new season and that should mean a confident match is produced when Chelsea host Brighton.

The last 8 Premier League games between the teams have all ended with at least three goals shared out and this has every chance of following that trend considering some of the attacking players that will be on the pitch.

It also helps that Chelsea are still looking vulnerable at the back, while Brighton play a high-line that can be exploited by the front three that the home team are likely to employ.

An early goal could really spark the occasion, although it is a shame for Brighton that Jack Hinshelwood is unlikely to be available after picking up an injury in training.

Fantasy: You could pick any of the Chelsea front three and be pretty happy, but Maxim De Cuyper has made a strong start to the season for Brighton and may be able to exploit some of the early defensive issues that have been highlighted in the home side.

Leeds United vs Brentford: Games between Leeds United and Brentford have tended to be very competitive and with little between them and it would be a surprise if that changes on Sunday.

Opening wins with clean sheets will have done both squads very well and they have backed that up by progressing in the League Cup during the week.

Brentford have displayed some really strong firepower in the opening week, but they have yet to find the balance needed away from home under Keith Andrews and that is the challenge for the manager to meet.

We know Leeds United will be tough to beat at Elland Road, but it would not be a surprise if these two teams end up cancelling one another out.

Fantasy: In the weeks and months ahead, both Leeds United and Brentford could offer some very good Fantasy choices, but this is expected to be a tight fixture and it may be a week where a moment of magic is needed... Where that comes from is anyone's guess!

Sunderland vs Fulham: There is a real concern about whether Sunderland have enough to compete with the added commitments of the Europa League and the late goal to lose at Portman Road will feel like a bitter blow to open this season.

The record at the Stadium of Light was impressive last season, but the underlying data is a little more concerning and Sunderland have struggled to deal with Fulham in recent years.

Alvaro Arbeloa's men earned the first win of the season against Wimbledon in the League Cup, but they will need to be better defensively than they showed against Chelsea and this is yet another team that will be having to get through some growing pains.

Fulham still retain some real quality though and both of these teams may have to share the points to get off the mark in the top flight in 2026/27.

Fantasy: This is another fixture where there is little between the teams, but Gonzalo Garcia has made a strong start to the campaign and looks like he will do a very good job for Fulham. The West London club have a decent record in recent visits to Sunderland and it may be Garcia who helps them edge this one as well, if they are going to earn an edge.

Manchester United vs Ipswich Town: The big concern for Manchester United in the aftermath of the loss to Hull City is that the performances during Michael Carrick's time at the club suggested a result like that one was not too far away.

Once again Manchester United have not been able to exert their strength on a team they should beat, but the results and performances away from home have now become a serious concern with little sign that the former will be sustainable without the latter.

Manchester United are back at home this weekend and it should be said that they have generally been a lot better at Old Trafford compared with playing away from home. The numbers back that up and a reaction is expected from a squad that has enough talent to win a game like this one.

Ipswich Town have nothing to lose and an early Premier League win will have done the squad the world of good, but they are going to do well to contain Manchester United on Sunday.

Set pieces looks the best avenue for Ipswich Town after seeing fellow promoted club Hull City exploit those last week, but Manchester United have tended to be pretty comfortable at Old Trafford and that can be underlined by the final score.

Fantasy: Any time Manchester United play at home, Bruno Fernandes will stand out for fantasy purposes, but it was Bryan Mbeumo who produced the biggest threatening moments last week and he is likely going to be a focal point of the attack again.

Aston Villa vs Arsenal: Opening weekend results can lead to grand statements being made about prospects of teams going forward and you will likely hear everyone suggesting Arsenal will win comfortably at Villa Park on Monday night.

Aston Villa lost 4-0 at Brighton forty-eight hours after Arsenal opened the new season with a 3-0 home win over Coventry City and those contrasting fortunes have meant the Champions go into this fixture as big favourites.

It has been feast or famine for Arsenal when visiting Villa Park since Unai Emery took charge of Aston Villa and this is a manager who will have been working his players to extract a big reaction from them.

The gut feeling is that we will see a big reaction from Aston Villa, but Arsenal still have a lot of quality and new signing Christos Tzolis has made an early impact.

He does not shy away from getting into shooting positions and Aston Villa were hurt on the right side of the defence in the heavy defeat at the Amex Stadium. Instead of backing a winner, backing Tzolis to hit the target with what is likely to be at least two or three efforts on goal looks the best way to be involved this Bank Holiday Monday.

Fantasy: The name has already been mentioned and it is Christos Tzolis who can continue to make an early impact for Arsenal having already been involved in creating goals against Manchester City and Coventry City.

MY PICKS: Crystal Palace-Manchester City Over 2.5 Goals @ 1.65 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Liverpool - 1 Asian Handicap @ 1.83 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Bournemouth @ 2.10 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

Coventry City-Hull City Under 2.5 Goals @ 1.91 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

Tottenham Hotspur-Newcastle United Over 2.5 Goals @ 1.65 William Hill (1 Unit)

Chelsea-Brighton Over 2.5 Goals @ 1.61 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

Leeds-Brentford Draw @ 3.50 Bet Fred (0.5 Units)

Sunderland-Fulham Draw @ 3.40 Bet Fred (0.5 Units)

Manchester United - 1.25 Asian Handicap @ 1.88 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Christos Tzolis Over 0.5 Shots on Target @ 1.61 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Premier League 26/27: 4-6, - 0.18 Units (9 Units Staked, - 2% Yield)

2026 World Cup: 57-45-1, + 8.63 Units (103 Units Staked, + 8.38% Yield)

English Premier League Football Picks Game Week 1 2026/27 (Friday 21st August-Monday 24th August 2026)

The World Cup Picks ended with a couple of losing selections, but a strong number after six weeks of action and this season there will be a return for the domestic Football Picks from the English top flight as well as the European competitions.

It feels like an incredibly wide open Division, at least behind Champions Arsenal who look the standout team and strong favourites to retain the title.

Much of the uncertainty behind them is the number of new managers joining the Premier League, while the likes of Aston Villa and Newcastle United have lost a host of key players in the transfer window. Those teams will only be judged on September 2nd once the summer transfer window is closed, although the same can be said for any number of clubs in the top flight.

Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City are all expected to be fighting for top four spots as they begin new eras under Xabi Alonso, Andoni Iraola and Enzo Maresca respectively.

The latter two have Premier League experience, but Maresca is taking over from Pep Guardiola and there is almost an expectation that Manchester City will have to go through a bit of a transition with that in mind. Erling Haaland will always score a lot of goals when he is on the pitch, and that can make that transition easier, but Manchester City showed the work that may need to be done in the 3-0 loss to Arsenal in the Community Shield.

Andoni Iraola is taking a big step up from Bournemouth to Liverpool and Chelsea may end up being the beneficiary of not playing in Europe much like Manchester United were last season.

The absence of the midweek fixtures will give Xabi Alonso plenty of time to get his methods across to his players and the front three of Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers and Joao Pedro could push Chelsea into a strong position as long as they stay healthy.

Tottenham Hotspur are another club that look to have done some decent business to improve the squad and they have to believe they will have a much clearer year when it comes to injuries that decimated the options in the 2025/26 season.

Roberto De Zerbi has got his feet under the table at Tottenham Hotspur after guiding them to safety from a precarious position at the end of last season and he has proven to be a Coach that can get the best out of his players very quickly.

Those teams mentioned look to be the main rivals to Manchester United and the ambitions of becoming a consistent Champions League performing club.

Michael Carrick did a good job in terms of the results produced after taking over from Ruben Amorim, but there is a feeling that the underlying numbers have to be better, especially away from home. Not much was wrong with the way Manchester United played at Old Trafford under the former midfielder, but they struggled for consistency away from home and that will need to be improved.

Manchester United fans will also note that they perhaps underachieved when facing the weaker teams in the Premier League last season- they dropped two points against Wolves (20th), two points against Burnley (19th), four points against West Ham United (18th), two points against Spurs (17th), two points against Nottingham Forest (16th).

The season ended with 14 points between Manchester United and Champions Arsenal so you can see the importance of those fixtures highlighted, while it should also be pointed out that the teams in 12th, 13th and 14th place all had wins over United too.

This is an area that the signings of Youri Tielemens are expected to help Manchester United improve with a midfielder that can help probe open spaces for the forward players.

He looks a smart piece of business and the hope is that Marcus Rashford will want to prove himself to the fans who have lost faith in the Academy graduate (and that is assuming Rashford will be staying).

More transfer business is needed to really give Manchester United a chance to put a solid first half of the season together before the January window opens, while there is also the pressure of facing a couple of promoted clubs in the first two weeks of the season where expectation will weigh heavily on the players.

All three promoted clubs will have a tough time surviving at this level, but Coventry City and Ipswich Town may have more hope than Hull City.

Play Off Winners have actually had relative success in recent Premier League years, but Hull City look short right now, although this can be reassessed at the end of the transfer window.

If one or more of those clubs are able to survive, it is the likes of Fulham, Crystal Palace, Newcastle United and Sunderland that may be most vulnerable, at least at the beginning of this weekend and before all transfer activity has been completed.

Sunderland's return to European Football is expected to see them take a step backwards and the same can be said for Bournemouth under a new manager and so perhaps Brentford will be the surprise representative in any UEFA competition next season.

The Bees have held onto the key players having sold in the last two summer windows and that consistency could be so important.

Unai Emery is always likely to get more out of his Aston Villa squad than some may think, but they have an important week coming up after the sales made in this window.

In the weeks and months ahead, the focus will also be on the Fantasy Premier League game and there will be some players identified who can produce solid returns.

Those will not be the big ownership players (Erling Haaland, Bruno Fernandes, etc, etc), but those who may be flying under the radar.

The plan from Gameweek 2 is to also offer one or two top Fantasy plays from each game of the week, while selections will not be made from every fixture, although the thoughts on how those fixtures could play out will be written out.

Remember it is a long season though and there will be twists and turns throughout the campaign- the hope is that we zig and zag when we should!

English Premier League Game Week 1

Arsenal vs Coventry City: The opening game of the Premier League season will feature the Champions hosting for a second year in a row and that is probably going to be the approach the Division takes in the coming years.

Arsenal have added with some quality and they look to be the team to beat over the next nine months.

Opening fixtures can be tough as players rebuild match fitness, while those returning from late action at the World Cup may still be finding their rhythm.

Jurrien Timber and William Saliba are missing, but Arsenal should still be able to largely contain the threat from Frank Lampard's second tier Champions and the home team are one that were able to do that against those in the bottom third of the table in the last campaign.

Arsenal made sure the three promoted clubs offered very little threat at the Emirates Stadium and Coventry City are without Haji Wright for the opener.

It has been a long time since Coventry City played in the top flight, but they have an experienced manager and big ambitions in the boardroom- they should be able to offer some real fight this season, but opening up at the Emirates Stadium may be as tough as it gets and Coventry City should be shown the gap they need to bridge from the Championship to the Premier League right out of the gate.

Hull City vs Manchester United: On paper this looks an ideal opener for Michael Carrick and Manchester United, although the manager was having none of that in his pre-match press conference.

He is right to be downplaying the media words and Michael Carrick will be reminding his players of their own struggles against those they should have beaten last season. That should mean urging for a professional performance and Manchester United will also need to weather what is likely to be an early storm in this part of Yorkshire.

Hull City surprisingly came through the Play Offs to return to the top flight, but it may have come a season too early and the summer transfer activity has been decent, if unspectacular.

All of the underlying numbers suggested Hull City should have been fighting to avoid relegation and not for promotion last season and this is a big step up.

Playing at home on the opening weekend will mean the fans are loud and the players have yet to have the confidence dented, but Manchester United's forward options should give them a significant edge and anything less than three points would be a huge disappointment.

Everton vs Crystal Palace: David Moyes has not been happy with the transfer business at Hill Dickinson Stadium and Everton need to find a way to be more comfortable in their new home if they are going to match the ambitions of the manager.

A poor end to last season meant Everton were not quite able to push into the European spots in the Premier League and it has been over thirty years since they last won silverware.

Both are situations that Moyes wants to reset and making a positive start to the season before bringing in new faces is the goal of the weekend.

Everton are facing a Crystal Palace team that have not enjoyed visiting the blue half of Merseyside in recent years and this is yet another top flight club under new management.

Pierre Sage has put a solid CV together in France, but a lack of experience of the Premier League is a factor and Oliver Glasner has set a high standard having guided The Eagles to the FA Cup in 2025 and Conference League in 2026.

The squad has been kept together, which is important, but Crystal Palace have a new voice to understand and perhaps a change in system, which may see them come up short at Everton yet again.

Ipswich Town vs Sunderland: Two years ago, Ipswich Town gave Liverpool all they could handle on the opening weekend at Portman Road, but they could not breakthrough and the season unravelled over the weeks and months ahead.

They cannot afford to wait until the last fixture of the calendar year for a League win in another campaign, but Ipswich Town will be going in without Kieran McKenna this time.

Gary O'Neil has overachieved in keeping Bournemouth and Wolves in the Premier League in recent roles, but he has not been able to sustain the progress- however, Ipswich Town would snap your hand off for a 17th place finish right now!

Fixtures like this have to be seen as those where Ipswich Town need to find a way to build the points together- two years ago they struggled at Portman Road and Sunderland showed last season that they can find plenty of big away results to back up the successes at the Stadium of Light.

A lack of incomings has some wondering if Sunderland will be worked out this season, but Regis Le Bris has surpassed all expectations in each of the last two seasons and The Black Cats have to be respected.

Nottingham Forest vs Leeds United: Oliver Glasner has left Crystal Palace and some may have expected him to rock up at a 'bigger' club than Nottingham Forest.

However, this is a club that has plenty of potential if they invest the Elliot Anderson funds wisely and the squad looks like one that could settle into the preferred Glasner formation pretty quickly.

Two years ago, Nottingham Forest came close to earning a spot in the Champions League, but four managers in nine months is never going to be a system for success. It meant a campaign of struggle, but Nottingham Forest did reach the Europa League Semi Final and Oliver Glasner has shown he can develop a team and get them to overachieve.

This looks a tough opener against Leeds United who had a really strong end to the second half of the season and who have added James Trafford to give them a stronger platform from which to build. Daniel Farke challenged the board to back him, which they have tried to do, and Leeds United will also benefit from the arrival of Harry Wilson to offer more creativity going forward.

A 1-1 draw is scoreline that will be popular with neutrals, but opening day football can see plenty of mistakes made as teams get up to speed and it would not be a surprise if a winner can be found.

Brentford vs Tottenham Hotspur: Roberto De Zerbi changed the Tottenham Hotspur fortune just in time to keep them in the Premier League and he has been backed significantly in the market with the midfield upgraded and yet more players set to arrive.

A new centre half pairing gives Tottenham Hotspur a more solid look, although Micky van de Ven is not expected to play this weekend, but fans will likely believe another attacker or two could make the difference between a good and a great season.

Spurs have made things tough for Brentford when visiting the Gtech Community Stadium, but the home team are a stubborn nut to crack in this part of West London.

Keith Andrews did a fine job last season and he will be glad that the squad looks to have been kept together this season rather than losing the quality of Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa as they did last year. Thiago has remained with the club and Brentford look like they could build on a successful campaign with the aim being a maiden campaign in European Football.

Games between these London rivals have tended to finish with the point shared in recent times and they may be the case on Saturday afternoon with the 1-1 scoreline looking a real runner.

Brighton vs Aston Villa: In recent years, Aston Villa have travelled to the South Coast and regularly returned with three points from the Amex Stadium. Last season they were 2-0 behind, but still won the game 3-4 and Unai Emery's management will be expected to get the best out of the squad as he has done in his time at Villa Park.

However, Aston Villa made a slow start to the Premier League season twelve months ago and there is a fear that something similar may happen over the next month.

A tricky opening two games is one issue, but the bigger one is the amount of turnover in the squad.

Emi Martinez and Ollie Watkins are rumoured to be the next players ready to depart and that would mean following Ezri Konsa, Youri Tielemens and Morgan Rogers out of the door. All were involved in the Europa League success, while Aston Villa are dealing with an early injury crisis as the likes of Joao Gomes and Johan Manzambi are expected to miss out.

The Villans remain a threat with Emery showing he can still get plenty out of those remaining in the narrow 2-1 loss to Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Super Cup.

They are also facing a Brighton team that have travelled back from Norway after playing in the Conference League Play Off Round First Leg, but Fabian Hurzeler was able to rest some key players and The Seagulls may be more ready to make a positive start to the Premier League campaign.

Manchester City vs Bournemouth: Enzo Maresca takes charge of Manchester City for the first Premier League game without Pep Guardiola since 2016 and he will be looking for a much better performance all around than what was shown in Cardiff in the Community Shield last Sunday.

Conceding within seconds of the opening kick off of the season will have always made it tough and you have to expect Manchester City will be more focused back at the Etihad Stadium.

The squad looks a little light, especially after Jeremy Doku was ruled out, but Manchester City have another week of training under the feet and Erling Haaland is available.

They are also facing a Bournemouth team who are under new management with Marco Rose coming in to replace Andoni Iraola, but the new manager is facing an early injury crisis. The fans will be hoping Rose is not going to rip up the tactics that had worked so well under the previous manager, but there will be new methods that need to be implemented so Marco Rose can stamp his own authority on the squad.

His first task is to make Bournemouth more competitive at the Etihad Stadium- the team have taken some very heavy defeats here as they have looked to play their football, which suits Manchester City who are used to having to break down low blocks.

Bournemouth have regularly scored here, but they concede too many and that may be the analysis of this fixture at full time on Sunday.

Newcastle United vs Liverpool: Kevin Keegan will be remembered in the build up to this Premier League fixture and rightly so.

Fans will also come together to pay their respects to the man who represented both of these clubs, but the rivalry will soon return.

Newcastle United fans will not have forgotten how Liverpool managed to turn Alexander Isak's head last year and they felt that impacted their season all year long. The Swedish striker is likely going to be booed relentlessly when he leads the line for Liverpool on Sunday, but the visitors can continue their strong run of results at St James' Park if they can quieten the noise.

The home team have not only lost manager Eddie Howe, but the midfield has been gutted ahead of the new season and the next week is going to be hugely important for Newcastle United.

A trio of Bruno Guimaraes, Sandro Tonali and Joelinton had given Newcastle United a physical presence in the middle of the park and plenty of quality to get the ball out of the likes of Anthony Gordon and Harvey Barnes. They missed Alexander Isak last season as Nick Woltemade struggled to adapt and Yoane Wissa was injured for much of the campaign, but this year Newcastle United are also missing Guimaraes, Tonali and Gordon.

The former two names have headed to separate Premier League clubs in North London and Anthony Gordon has replaced Marcus Rashford at Barcelona, while new manager Matthias Jaissle is also going to be without Joelinton.

The Toon Army will be loud and really get behind the home team, but it is hard to see how they can contain Liverpool's attack as Andoni Iraola manages them for the first time in a competitive game. The new manager wants more attacking options, but both Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak have enjoyed a productive pre-season outings and Liverpool should be able to create a lot of opportunities.

Liverpool do have issues defensively that Newcastle United could exploit on the counter attack, but in a game that could be filled with goals, it is the away team that looks to have the edge. Five goals were shared out when the teams met here last August and something similar would not surprise with the visitors likely heading back to Merseyside with three points.

Fulham vs Chelsea: Two friends who both managed Real Madrid at different points last season will be heading to West London to take one another on in debuts with new clubs.

Xabi Alonso takes over at Chelsea and there is a lot of excitement that he can get the best out of an underachieving squad.

He has been backed by the board who have brought in a replacement for Marc Cucurella that will suit the Alonso favoured 3-4-3 tactic, while signings like Maxence Lacroix and Morgan Rogers means established Premier League quality has arrived. No European Football gives Chelsea every chance to bounce back into a top four battle, if not even better, and this is a team that have tended to enjoy the short trip to Craven Cottage.

Alvaro Arbeloa is the surprise Fulham appointment to replace Marco Silva having had little experience, although he would argue six months at Real Madrid is like managing a lifetime at most other clubs.

Fulham have lost some influential players in Harry Wilson and Raul Jimenez, but there is some quality within the squad and much will depend on how quickly they respond to the new manager having spent five years under Marco Silva.

A West London derby under the lights should mean a decent atmosphere, but it will be far from hostile for Chelsea and that is perhaps why they have enjoyed this fixture more than visiting Brentford.

Scoring first on the opening weekend always feels that much more important with players perhaps not having the same energy to fight back as they would in two months time.

Chelsea's front three look more capable of helping the away team get in front first and they look like they have the quality to make an early statement about what they can achieve this season by winning at Craven Cottage.

MY PICKS: Arsenal Win to Nil @ 1.87 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Manchester United - 1.25 Asian Handicap @ 1.74 William Hill (1 Unit)

Everton @ 2.25 Bet365 (1 Unit) early payout price

Ipswich Town-Sunderland Draw @ 3.40 Bet Fred (0.5 Units)

Nottingham Forest-Leeds United Over 2.5 Goals @ 

Brentford-Tottenham Hotspur Draw @ 3.75 Bet Fred (0.5 Units)

Brighton @ 2.25 Bet365 (1 Unit) early payout price

Manchester City - 1.25 Asian Handicap @ 1.97 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Liverpool @ 1.90 Bet365 (1 Unit) early payout price

Chelsea @ 1.95 Coral (1 Unit)

2026 World Cup: 57-45-1, + 8.63 Units (103 Units Staked, + 8.38% Yield)