I’ll be starting the season with Mohamed Salah as my captain yet again as his opening fixture is so appealing and the spine of my team will be made up by some of last season’s best performers. Joao Cancelo, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Son Heung-Min will most likely be joined by the the three Gabriels at Arsenal, Bruno Guimaraes, Marcus Rashford, Ivan Toney and Roberto Sanchez. With only two days to go I suppose my team will change again, but not too much at this stage.
Friday August 5
Crystal Palace v Arsenal
8pm BST, Selhurst Park, London
Palace had a pretty good season under Patrick Vieira last season and they will be looking to build on that. They only lost four home games, but no other team drew more games on their own patch. They will have their work cut out to get something from this game, but they are certainly in with a chance.
Wilfried Zaha is the Palace player most likely to do well for fantasy managers, but others such as Marc Guehi, Michael Olise and Jean-Philippe Mateta could be worth considering too.
Arsenal finished higher than expected last season, but they probably should have finished in the top four considering the position they were in late on. They lost as many games as they won away from home and no other team drew less games on their travels. They have invested heavily again and their aim for this season has to be a return to the top four.
Gabriel Jesus has impressed in pre-season for Arsenal while Gabriel Magalhaes and Gabriel Martinelli could offer good value for fantasy managers too.
I think this will be a very close game and I wouldn’t be surprised to see the spoils shared.
Prediction: 1-1
Saturday August 6
Fulham v Liverpool
12.30pm BST, Craven Cottage, London
Fulham will hope to fare better this season than the last time they were promoted to the Premier League. Like any other promoted team they will need to get some results at home, but they couldn’t have asked for a tougher start. Their fate will be decided by how they do against the other struggling teams, but playing four of last season’s top five in their first seven games will really test them.
Andreas Pereira is available at a very good price which makes him a good bench warmer for fantasy managers while Aleksandar Mitrovic will think he can make an impression in the top flight too.
Liverpool only just missed out on winning the league last season and they will be looking to go one better this time around. No other team scored more goals away from home last season and they will look to put a good number on the board in this game. They have a very good run of games to start the season and they will be hoping to get a head start as they look to topple City.
There are so many Liverpool players for fantasy managers to choose with Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold probably the best of them, but any of their defenders and keeper are good choices along with Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez.
I can’t see anything other than a comfortable Liverpool victory in this game.
Prediction: 0-3
Bournemouth v Aston Villa
3pm BST, Vitality Stadium, Bournemouth
Bournemouth took two seasons to get back to the Premier League after their relegation and their biggest challenge this season will be staying up. Like Fulham they will need to get something from their home games and they will think they have a chance of getting something from this game. I think this could be a tough season for them and I would be surprised if they didn’t go straight back down to the Championship.
I’m not sure there are any Bournemouth players to interest fantasy managers, but Dominic Solanke could do well if he can replicate his Championship form.
Villa promised much last season after Steven Gerrard took the reins, but they will want to better their 14th place finish this season. Only three other teams lost more away games last season, but they took almost as many points on the road as they did at home because they only drew one game. They have a very good start to the season and they will want to be close to the pace setters after their first four games.
Matty Cash is the Villa defender most likely to return points for fantasy managers while Leon Bailey is priced very well and Phillippe Coutinho could be worth having if Gerrard can get the best out of him.
I think this will be a close game with Villa more than likely winning by a single goal.
Prediction: 1-2
Leeds United v Wolverhampton Wanderers
3pm BST, Elland Road, Leeds
Leeds just about managed to avoid relegation last season and selling their best two players might not inspire confidence in them repeating the feat this season. Their home form let them down last season and they will need to improve on their own ground if they’re going to remain in the top flight. They only play two of last season’s top six in their first 10 games and that could give them the chance to have a decent start to their season.
With Raphinha gone I’m not sure which Leeds players can make a difference for fantasy managers, but Patrick Bamford’s return after missing most of last season injured could be interesting.
Wolves promised much at times last season, but their lack of goals meant they ended up in 10th place. They took more points away from home than they did at home last season and this game gives them a great chance to get their campaign off to a good start. They have a good run of games to start their season and they will look to hit the ground running.
With Raul Jiminez injured Hwang Hee-Chan might do well for fantasy as a midfielder who will play up front while Pedro Neto plus the Wolves defenders and keeper are worth a shout too.
I don’t think there will be too much between these two teams and the chances are the game will end in a draw.
Prediction: 1-1
Newcastle United v Nottingham Forest
3pm BST, St. James’s Park, Newcastle
Newcastle had a very good second half to their season after becoming the richest club in the world, but the next step for them might not be so easy. They did very well at home later on last season and that home form will be crucial if they are to make a step up. They play both of last season’s top two in their first five games which should give them a good idea of where they stand.
Bruno Guimaraes is the Newcastle player who stands out in my opinion for fantasy managers while Kieran Trippier, Allan Saint-Maximin and Callum Wilson could do well too.
Forest won the play off final to gain promotion and they showed in the FA Cup last season that they are not afraid to play against the best teams. Like all promoted teams it’s their home results which are most likely to keep them up, but that doesn’t mean they can’t get something from this game. They have a very tough start to the season and they could find themselves at the wrong end of the table early on.
Neco Williams is available at a very good price for fantasy managers since his transfer from Liverpool and he could be another bench warmer while Brennan Johnson might be one to keep an eye on too.
I think Newcastle should be strong enough to take the three points, but Forest will make a game of it.
Prediction: 2-1
Tottenham Hotspur v Southampton
3pm BST, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London
Spurs managed to edge into the top four last season and they will try to push on from there to win their first trophy since who knows when this season. Only three other teams took more points at home last season and they don’t face any of the other top six at home in the first three months of the season. They have a good run of fixtures to start the and they will need to make the most of them if they’re going to keep a top four place.
Son Heung-Min and Harry Kane are the stand out Spurs players for fantasy managers with Dejan Kulusevski and Ivan Perisic good choices too.
Southampton had a bad second half to last season and it couldn’t end quickly enough for them, but they will hope to improve on that this season. No other team conceded more goals away from home last season and they start this season with a tough away fixture. They play three of the big six in their first five games and they could be in for a tough start.
James Ward-Prowse is the only Southampton player for fantasy managers to consider for the moment at least.
I think Spurs should be too good for Southampton and should win by at least a couple of goals.
Prediction: 3-1
Everton v Chelsea
5.30pm BST, Goodison Park, Liverpool
Everton just about managed to avoid relegation last season and selling their best player won’t have helped their prospects for this season. It was only their home results which kept them up last season and they will need to be just as good at home this season. They don’t look to have improved their squad yet and they could be in for a tough opening game.
With Dominic Calvert-Lewin back from missing most of last season through injury he could be one to watch for fantasy managers although he is already out for the first game.
Chelsea managed to finish third last season despite all the turmoil at the club, but I’m not sure how well they are set going into the new season and they don’t look capable of challenging City and Liverpool for the title. No other team conceded less goals away from home last season and they have a very good run of away games to start. The fixture list has been very kind to them to start the season, but they need to bring the players they want in quickly so they can take advantage of it.
Reece James, Ben Chilwell and Mason Mount could be the Chelsea players to do well for fantasy managers with Edouard Mendy a good choice too considering his price.
I think Chelsea will get off to a winning start in what looks like being a fairly close game.
Prediction: 1-2
Sunday August 7
Leicester City v Brentford
2pm BST, King Power Stadium, Leicester
Leicester finished last season strongly to end up in ninth place and they will hope to better that this season with no European distractions. They took as many home points as Chelsea last season and they have a good run of home games to start this season. As it stands they could lose a lot of players to other teams and they will be hoping for the transfer window to close as soon as possible.
If Leicester can hold on to James Maddison he could be their player to have for fantasy managers while both Jamie Vardy and Harvey Barnes are good choices too.
Brentford had a very good season after their promotion last season and they could find it difficult to match that. They did almost as well away from home as they did at home last season. After a couple of sticky games to start they have a run of games where they will hope to build up enough points to sit comfortably in mid-table.
Ivan Toney finished last season strongly for fantasy managers and he could be the Brentford player to have this season too.
I can see Leicester winning this game, but Brentford will make them work hard for it.
Prediction: 2-1
Manchester United v Brighton And Hove Albion
2pm BST, Old Trafford, Manchester
United were a long way off the top four last season and they don’t look to have improved too much as this season starts. Only four other teams took more points at home last season, but they have a tough run of home games to start this season. With so much turmoil in their squad it’s difficult to know how well they will do, but we might have a better idea once the transfer window closes.
Marcus Rashford is available at a pretty good price for fantasy managers while Bruno Fernandes is always a good option.
Brighton finished strongly to end up in the top half of the table last season and no other team drew more games than them, but they will do well to improve on that position unless they can find the net more often. Only the top four took more points away from home last season, but no other team drew more games on the road. They are capable of beating any team when they’re at their best and they could give United a real headache in this game.
Lewis Dunk is the Brighton player who looks to be the best value for fantasy managers, but Leandro Trossard is a possibility too and Marc Cucurella might be a good shout if he gets the move he’s looking for.
If Brighton can prove as difficult to beat as they were last season then I wouldn’t be surprised to see them get a point from this game.
Prediction: 1-1
West Ham United v Manchester City
4.30pm BST, London Stadium, London
West Ham managed to get into Europe yet again last season as well as reaching the semifinals of the Europa League, but they might still find it difficult to match their seventh place finish. They won less than half of their home games last season and a visit from the team with the best away record will be hard for them. They play three of last season’s top four in their first six games so it might take them a little while to gain some momentum.
I think Said Benrahma and Vladimir Coufal are both available at a price that could interest fantasy managers, but maybe not in this game.
City just about held on to retain their title last season and they will want to do so again this season, but the Champions League might be even more important for them. Their away record won them the league and they have a pretty good run of away games to start the season. If they can integrate their new players it’s going to be difficult for the rest of the league to keep pace with them.
Erling Haland, Kevin de Bruyne, Riyad Mahrez and Joao Cancelo are all very good options for fantasy managers, but any City player who plays could do well.
I think City will get their title defence off to a good start by taking the three points in this game.
Prediction: 0-2
That’s it for this week.
See you next week.
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