It’s summer again! There’s football on TV and there’s a glut of internationals to whet your appetite.
Good things come to those who wait.
– Mum, every Christmas morning.
Let the preparations begin!
Okay, so you’re probably not as keen as that, but the Premier League fixtures are now available and we can start scouting our draft picks. The Euros and the Copa América are underway and many of the Premier League’s finest are in action this summer. Now, this isn’t going to be an article where I highlight and recommend starters and sleepers, I am not that smart. No, this is just going to be a simple introduction to the new season and begins our build-up to SEASON EIGHT.
Getting the Ball Rolling
The season will kick-off on FRIDAY 13th August with Play-Off winners Brentford joining the Premier League for the first time and facing London rivals Arsenal. Next, Manchester United will host Leeds United in the early game on Saturday. This fixture finished 6-2 to the Red Devils last season, but was followed up by a goalless draw in the return leg. Burnley open the season against seasiders Brighton. Both games between the pair were drawn last season.
Crystal Palace travel eight miles north to face Chelsea, who put four past them home and away last term. Everton entertain Southampton and Leicester host Wolves on the Saturday afternoon too. Championship Runners-Up Watford will be at home against Aston Villa and then later on Champions Norwich City host Liverpool. The Canaries also played The Reds in the opening day of the 2019/20 season, losing 4-1.
On Sunday 15th West Ham travel up north to face Newcastle and then Gameweek One concludes with Champions Manchester City driving south to play Tottenham Hotspur. City have won all of their last ten opening games (after drawing 0-0 with Spurs in GW1 of 2010), but have lost all three of their games at the New White Hart Lane.
We all want to see a lot of goals from the get go. So far there have been seven seven-goal games on Opening Day in the Premier League. Liverpool and Arsenal have both been involved in three of those matches. This season Liverpool-Norwich promises lots of highlights. That fixture has seen 69 goals in 18 meetings, that’s nearly 4 per game. Arsenal also have a tasty first game against new boys at Brentford. Last year Arsenal lost 3-2 to Brentford in a pre-season friendly and the season before that the Gunners knocked Brentford out of the League Cup with a 3-1 win. Plenty of potential on offer there then.
The Whole World’s A Stage
For those of you who are taking notes while watching the internationals, or just enjoying them without a care in the world, this summer sees national teams playing in the European Championship, the Copa América, the Gold Cup and the CONCACAF Nations League too.
There have been a few good goals from our Premier League player pool already.
Chelsea’s Kai Havertz (vs. Portugal), Andreas Christensen (vs. Russia) and Christian Pulisic (an ET pen vs. Mexico);
Everton’s Richarlison (vs. Peru);
Leeds United’s Tyler Roberts (vs. Turkey) and Egzijan Alioski (vs. Ukraine);
Liverpool’s Xherdan Shaqiri (2 vs. Turkey), Georginio Wijnaldum (1 vs. Ukraine & 2 vs. North Macedonia) and Diogo Jota (vs. Germany);
Man City’s Kevin de Bruyne (vs. Denmark), Raheem Sterling (1 vs. Croatia & 1 vs. Czech Republic), Aymeric Laporte and Ferran Torres (vs. Slovakia);
West Ham’s Andriy Yarmolenko (1 vs. Netherlands & 1 vs. North Macedonia).
Plus, three own goals for the unfortunate Ruben Dias, Yerry Mina and Martin Dúbravka. But we won’t say any more about those.
Fail to Prepare, Prepare to Fail
The offseason games are always good fun. It’s an opportunity to give the kids a run-out, ingratiate the early summer signings and embarrass some lower league sides. Who can remember Everton putting 22 goals past Austrian fifth-tier side ATV Irdning three years ago? It will also be a fresh start for the new Premier League managers at Palace, Wolves and Everton.
This season Everton and Arsenal will be heading to Florida for some sunny football fun. Leeds and Newcastle are continuing to keep it local, on the road against the likes of Guisely, Blackburn, Fleetwood, York, Harrogate, Rotherham and Burton Albion. Palace will be on the road against Walsall, Stevenage, Ipswich & Charlton, and Leicester go on tour to Burton, Wycombe and then QPR. West Ham also have a few dates up and down the UK. First they go all the way up to Dundee before coming back to London to face Leyton Orient. Then they pass through Northampton and Reading on their way back over the border to face Celtic and their new boss Ange Postecoglou.
The newly-promoted sides have announced their friendlies too. Norwich City start off with an hour’s drive to Nashunal Leeg side Kings Lynn before playing League One Play-Off Finalists Lincoln City and former Premier League-ers Huddersfield Town at Carrow Road. Watford have set up a game against one of the teams that they’re replacing in the Prem – West Bromwich Albion, followed by a trip to Stevenage, then they return to Vicarage Road to host a couple of internationals against Ligue 1 survivors Nantes and Serie A’s Udinese. Brentford F.C. travel a short way to North London to practice against regular pre-season opponents Boreham Wood and then set their sights on Old Trafford for their first meeting with Manchester United since 1975.
And finally, in the 2021/22 season curtain-raiser, Premier League Champions Manchester City will play FA Cup Winners Leicester City for the Charity Shield on Saturday 7th August.
The full Premier League fixtures are now available on the FPL website:
https://www.premierleague.com/news/2171434
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