The highlight fixtures for the opening week of the new EPL season include ARSENAL versus COVENTRY and FULHAM versus CHELSEA. Our feature columnist, John Newsome, brings you his unique and insightful previews of these and all Game Week 1 matches. You can view all previous analysis from John’s regular column here: English Premier League Predictions For Saturday.
👉 Bet £10, Get £30 in Free Bets For New Customers at Bet365
Be sure to check out John’s new book, entitled “Three Days At Anfield“, a riotous and heartfelt tribute to Barnsley FC that blends football nostalgia, fan memoir, and a love letter to the beautiful game. Available on Amazon now.
Please note all prices quoted below were correct at the time of publication.
Game Week-1
New Goalkeeper Rule-
A new rule regarding Goalkeepers is being introduced to prevent tactical injuries, which have become more prevalent over the last few seasons.
The GK’s were ‘pretending’ to be injured and having the Physio come on, basically knowing that they weren’t going to leave the pitch thus allowing the Manager to regroup his players for a couple of minutes to give them some mid-game instructions, or simply to slow down an opponent’s momentum and waste time.
From the start of this New Season, if a Goalkeeper goes down with an injury and needs a Physio, the Manager must take an outfield player off for a minimum of 1 minute when the game restarts.
There are a few caveats to this, 1 being if there is blood involved then the GK can be treated without a player going off and also if the opponent fouls the ‘Keeper causing injury.
Additionally, a 5-second countdown will be implemented for throw-ins and goal kicks.
If the referee has counted the 5 seconds but the throw-in or goal kick hasn’t been taken, the ball will be given to the opposing team to take a throw-in or take a corner.
A player who is substituted has 10 seconds to get off the pitch, if he takes longer, the oncoming player won’t be able to enter the game until a minute has passed and then the next stoppage.
These new rules have been on show at the recent World Cup and are designed to keep the game flowing.
Friday, August 21st
ARSENAL v COVENTRY
20.00 in England
Sky Sports
Arsenal-
Mikel Arteta
In-
Bruno Guimaraes Newcastle £75 Million
Christos Tzolis Club Brugge £34 Million
Piero Hincapie Bayer Leverkusen £35 Million permanent basis
A lot pronounce Piero’s name-
Hin-cap-pee-hay
But it really is
Hin-ca-pie (with gravy!)
Illan Meslier Leeds free
Out-
Leandro Trossard Besiktas £17 Million
Jakub Kiwior Porto, £19 Million
Arsenal are first up in this New 2026/27 Premier League Season to start their defence of the Title.
With so many Manager changes at teams who want to take the Trophy away from the Emirates, a settled Arsenal side, under Mikel Arteta should see the Gunners retain the Title.
Added to that, the addition of Bruno Guimaraes is a real statement of intent from Mikel and the Gunners hierarchy.
What’s probably forgotten by a lot of fans is, although Arsenal signed Viktor Gyokeres from Sporting Lisbon, paying the Portuguese club £60 Million, Viktor actually played for Coventry from 2021 to 2023, scoring 41 Championship goals over the 3 seasons.
Coventry-
Frank Lampard
In-
Caleb Yirenkyi Nordsjaelland £26 Million
Carl Rushworth Brighton £23 Million
Aurele Amenda Eintracht Frankfurt £17 Million
Gustavo Hamer Sheffield United £6 Million
Frank Onyeka Brentford undisclosed after being on loan since February
Loum Tchaouna Burnley undisclosed
Billy-Ray Cullinane Brighton free
Out-
A few squad players released but none really of note.
These two last played a Top Flight game back in February 2001, the season where Coventry, who had been an inaugural member of the Premier League in the 1992/93 campaign, were relegated.
The Gunners finished as runners-up to Manchester United in that 2000/01 season, with the Sky Blues finishing 19th and relegated to the Championship along with Bradford City and remarkably, Man City.
Coventry would then spend a total of 25 years in the Championship, League One and even a season in League Two before Frank Lampard oversaw the Sky Blues’ return to the Promised Land.
Coventry’s old ground, Highfield Road was the first all-seater stadium in England.
The current home of Cov, which has had various names over the years, including the Ricoh Arena, is now called the ‘Coventry Building Society Arena’ and has been at the centre of a long-running feud between the Owners and the Football Club due to differences over rent.
Over the years of the feud, Coventry played some of their home games at Northampton’s Sixfields Stadium and Birmingham’s St Andrew’s Stadium.
The stadium issues have now been resolved, leaving Coventry with a permanent home.
The older readers will remember Coventry beating Tottenham to clinch the 1987 FA Cup at Wembley, with goals from Dave Bennett, Keith Houchen and a Gary Mabbutt Own Goal giving the Management Duo of John Sillett and George Curtis, the Iconic Trophy.
As always for the New Teams coming up from the Championship, it will be a tough old ask for Coventry, Ipswich and Hull, to stay in the Premier League but it will be one that all of the fans will thoroughly enjoy.
Betfred offer Arsenal at Odds On 1/7, the Draw at 11/2 and 16/1 for Coventry to come away with all 3-points.
Betfred offer 5/1 that Bukayo Saka Scores First and slight Odds On 9/10 that Viktor Gyokeres Scores Anytime.
(If your pre-match First Goalscorer bet scores First and then scores a Second, Betfred DOUBLE the odds.
If they score a Third, Betfred TREBLE the odds.)
Home Win 3-0- Get 11/2 on Betfred & Claim your new account welcome offer!
Saturday, August 22nd
HULL v MANCHESTER UNITED
12.30 in England
TNT Sports
Hull-
Sergej Jakirovic
In-
Lucas Herrington Colorado Rapids £20 Million
Konstantinos Tzolakis Olympiacos £20 Million
Jens Hjerto-Dahl Tromsø £10 Million
Joe Gelhardt Leeds £7 Million
Jack Butland Rangers £3 Million
Elliot Stroud Mjällby AIF £3 Million
Lucas Gourna-Douath RB Salzburg £3 Million
Matt Targett Newcastle free
Ben Robinson Preston free
Out-
Ivor Pandur Rangers £6 Million (swapped for Jack Butland)
Kyle Joseph Middlesbrough £4 Million
Hull return to the Premier League, following 8 seasons in the Championship and a season in League One after relegation from the Top Flight in 2017.
The Tigers finished 6th in the Championship last season with 73 points following a final-day victory over Norwich.
Coventry, who won the Title, had 95 points.
Going into the finale, Hull were on the same 70 points as Wrexham, with a similar goal difference, so it was basically a final-day shootout between Hull and Wrexham as to who would finish in the playoff places and who would narrowly miss out.
As it turned out, Hull beat Norwich to get the valuable 3 points, whereas Wrexham could only manage a draw against Middlesbrough, so it was the Tigers who finished 6th, to set up a 2-legged Semi-Final against Millwall, who finished 3rd.
After an initial goalless draw at Hull’s MKM Stadium, the Tigers secured their place in the final by beating Millwall 2-0 at the New Den.
That initially set up a Final against Southampton who had beaten Middlesbrough in their 2-legged affair, however, then the fun started.
The Saints had sent one of their staff to ‘spy’ on Middlesbrough’s training ahead of the playoffs.
Obviously, this is against the ethics of the game and one thinks ‘how did Middlesbrough know?’
Well, the Numptys from St Mary’s sent a guy dressed in a Southampton training kit.
It wasn’t the first time either, with the Saints sending potential James Bond future actors to spy on Oxford and Ipswich.
That’s what was admitted and known, how many times have Southampton done this which are not admitted or known?
For that matter, probably a lot of teams have done this over the years.
Recently, Jose Mourinho admitted that he ordered a ‘spy mission’ whilst Manager of Chelsea.
In the end, Southampton were omitted from the playoff Final and also deducted 4 points for this season’s Championship campaign.
Middlesbrough were reinstated to face Hull at Wembley, where an Ollie McBurnie goal in the 95th minute gave the Tigers the victory and sent Hull straight to the Promised Land.
Matt Targett played for Middlesbrough in that Final, on loan from Newcastle, however, Hull have stepped in and taken Matt on a permanent deal, so despite losing in the playoffs, Mr Targett is still going to be a Premier League player.
The MKM Stadium is a great little ground to visit, with ample opportunities to have a pre and post-game drink, so the away fans visiting Humberside, will definitely have a nice day out.
Hull is situated at the East end of the M62, so is easily accessible from all parts of the country and with Manchester at the West end of the Motorway, the Red Devil faithful will have an easy, stress-free journey.
Manchester United-
Michael Carrick
In-
Andrey Santos Chelsea £50 Million
Youri Tielemans Aston Villa £36 Million
Tynan Thompson Tottenham, £8 Million
Karl Darlow Leeds free
Out-
Rasmus Hojlund Napoli £38 Million
Andre Onana Trabzonspor loan
Casemiro released
Tyrell Malacia released
Jadon Sancho released
The faithful are also hoping for a minimal stress-free season after the adventures over the past few years.
Michael Carrick (Super Michael Carrick) has been confirmed as the permanent Manchester United Manager, which is a great opportunity for the legend who showed at the end of last season, that his calmness and confidence bring a level of security to the team.
As shown above, United have been busy in the Transfer Market bringing in several players including the excellent Youri Tielemans who, whilst may not play every game, is a brilliant squad member who will be needed for the added Champions League fixtures.
Andrey Santos is another great player who was surprisingly let go by Chelsea.
United will definitely benefit from Youri and Andrey’s inclusion and whilst Carrick’s Casuals may not win the Premier League, they should be there or thereabouts come the end of the season.
Between the 20 Premier League clubs in this 2026/27 season, there are some beautiful shirts, whether home, away or even a 3rd strip, that will be worn by the players (and the fat fans in the crowd who still dream of playing for their beloved team)
None more so than Manchester United’s new top.
The following is courtesy of Flashscores’ Brad Ferguson-
‘The home shirt marks 50 years since the 1977 FA Cup Final, with a clean red base, polo collar and banded cuffs.
The away is one of the Summer’s most talked-about release, largely because Stormzy wore it to the World Cup Final before Adidas had finished writing the copy.
Royal Blue with a tonal wave jacquard referencing the River Irwell, Red and White trim on the V-neck and cuffs and the Trefoil above the sponsor.
The colour comes straight from the Sharp-era shirts of the late 1980s.
No pattern, no theme, no press release about industrial heritage.
It’s the most disciplined United home shirt in years and it’s better for it.’
Cheers Brad.
In 1977, John Newsome was only 7, with the FA Cup Final being one of very few games that were shown on TV.
Nowadays, there’s usually 3 or 4 games a day on the Gogglebox but back in the day, there were probably only around 3 or 4 games a year that were shown live.
There was always the FA Cup Final, the European Cup Final, plus a couple of England matches and that was that.
The 1977 FA Cup Final was between Manchester United and Liverpool, with United getting their hands on the Iconic Trophy by beating Liverpool 2-1.
Stuart Pearson and Jimmy Greenhoff with the United goals.
Jimmy’s brother Brian was also in the United lineup with both originating from John Newsome’s hometown of Barnsley.
Jimmy Case scored the Liverpool consolation.
The 1976 FA Cup Final was the first that John can remember, sat in front of the Telly on St Helen’s Ave, watching Southampton shock Manchester United by getting the victory from a 1-0 score.
Bobby Stokes with the solitary winning goal.
John can’t remember anything before 1976 but from then on, was always sat in front of the 24′ TV every time there was a live game on, plus watching Match Of The Day or the Big Match highlights.
Manchester United were also in the 1979 FA Cup Final, making it 3 Finals in 4 years for the Red Devils, however, suffered their 2nd loss of the 3, against Arsenal from a 3-2 score.
Betfred offer Hull at 13/2, the Draw at 7/2 and Odds On 4/11 for Manchester United to come away with all 3-points.
Betfred offer 5/1 that Bruno Fernandes Scores First and 23/20 that Manchester United Score in Both Halves.
(If your pre-match First Goalscorer bet scores First and then scores a Second, Betfred DOUBLE the odds.
If they score a Third, Betfred TREBLE the odds.)
Away Win 0-2- Get 11/2 on Betfred & Claim your new account welcome offer!
EVERTON v CRYSTAL PALACE
15.00 in England
The Brenna Johnson/Dwight McNeil Derby!
Both players switched clubs over the Summer, with Brennan heading to Everton and Dwight joining Crystal Palace, so in a very bizarre twist, the Premier League Fixture Compilers have thrown up this opening day fixture.
It would be funny if Brennan went in the Away Dressing Room and Dwight in the Home.
‘You don’t play for us anymore!’
Everton-
David Moyes
In-
Hayden Hackney Middlesbrough £24 Million
Tyrique George Chelsea, £24 Million
Merlin Rohl Freiburg £19 Million
Christian Norgaard £7 Million
Brennan Johnson Crystal Palace free
Out-
Dwight McNeil Crystal Palace free
Idrissa Gueye Al Diriyah released
Seamus Coleman released/retired
The Old Boy David Moyes, now aged 63, is back for another season at Everton, however, there were rumours (just rumours and probably will stay as rumours) that David could become the next permanent Scotland Manager after Steve Clarke resigned following Scotland’s disastrous World Cup adventure.
Scotland did what was virtually impossible to do and that was fail to qualify for the last-32.
Even Cape Verde qualified.
‘Mr Happy’ Steve Clarke subsequently left his position even though he had only just recently signed an extension to his contract, which is fair play to the lad as he could have just continued and taken his money.
There’s a new favourite to become the next Scotland Manager, him being Sebastien Pocognoli (who?)
The loveable OzScot isn’t happy at the moment with his teams, with all of Scotland, Rangers and Barnsley starting the New Season off badly, (well Scotland finished last season off badly!)
The lads’ 5th/6th or 10th club he supports, Kettering (he’s more clubs than Tiger Woods) did manage an opening day victory in the Southern League Premier Central, beating Leamington on Saturday, prompting the Teddy Bear to shout-
‘We gonna win the league!’
Always a believer is the Lucky Lad!
At the moment, Jack Grealish has returned to Man City but there is still talk of JG returning to Hill Dickinson before the Transfer Window closes on the 1st of September.
Chelsea’s Liam Delap is on Everton’s possible transfer list but Rory’s son is wanted by a few.
The Toffees are also interested in Manchester United’s talented Striker Ethan Wheatley.
With the Transfer Window open until the 1st of September, there’s still time for the Toffees (along with all the other clubs) to bring in more players.
Crystal Palace-
Pierre Sage
In-
Evann Guessand Aston Villa loan
Takehiro Tomiyasu Ajax free
Dwight McNeil free
Oscar Mingueza Celta Vigo free
***Potential Signing-
Zavier Gozo Real Salt Lake City £11 Million
Out-
Maxence Lacroix Chelsea £51 Million
Danny Imray Wrexham £5 Million
Brennan Johnson Crystal Palace free
Plus a few squad players released but none really of note.
Crystal Palace’s New Era starts on Merseyside with the New Gaffer Pierre Sage overseeing the Eagles for the first time after replacing Oliver Glasner.
Whilst Pierre is probably an unknown to the English football fan, Mr Sage helped Lens finish 2nd behind Paris Saint-Germain in last season’s Ligue Un, subsequently receiving the ‘Manager of the Year’ award.
Lens also won the Coupe De France for the first time in their history, beating Nice in the Final from a 3-1 scoreline.
The ex-Palace Striker Odsonne Edouard is currently a Lens player, scoring in that Final, so it is conceivable that Odsonne could return to Selhurst Park.
The Eagle Ultras will be hoping for more Silverware following winning the FA Cup and the Europa Conference League over the last couple of seasons (as well as the Community Shield).
Betfred offer Everton at 11/10, the Draw at 12/5 and 9/4 for Crystal Palace to come away with all 3-points.
Betfred offer 15/2 that Iliman Ndiaye Scores First and 15/8 that Jean-Philippe Mateta Scores Anytime.
(If your pre-match First Goalscorer bet scores First and then scores a Second, Betfred DOUBLE the odds.
If they score a Third, Betfred TREBLE the odds.)
Home Win 2-1- Get 15/2 on Betfred & Claim your new account welcome offer!
IPSWICH v SUNDERLAND
15.00 in England
Ipswich-
Gary O’Neil (Kieran McKenna left)
In-
Emersonn Toulouse £27 Million
Julio Enciso Strasbourg £25 Million
Abdul Fatawu Leicester £23 Million
Abdoul Ouattara Strasbourg £17 Million
Florentino Luis Burnley £16 Million
Kjell Scherpen Union Saint-Gilloise £11 Million
Daizen Maeda Celtic £10 Million
Sasa Lukic Fulham £9 Million
Issa Diop Fulham £9 Million
Chuba Akpom Ajax £7 Million
Kayne van Oevelen Volendam £4 Million
Cedric Kipre Reims £2 Million
Out-
Ashley Young retired (well the lad is 41 and has had a fine career, playing for Watford, Aston Villa, Manchester United, Inter Milan, Everton and finally Ipswich)
All the best Ashley.
Arijanet Muric Sassuolo £9 Million
Sam Szmodics Derby loan
Cieran Slicker Barnsley loan
Conor Chaplin Leicester free
Ipswich are the third promoted team to start in this New Premier League campaign.
The Tractor Boys experienced the Top Flight in the 2024/25 season but were relegated, however, they quickly returned to the Premier League after finishing second behind Coventry.
There is a slight change, in the fact that Kieran McKenna, who oversaw the last Premier League adventure plus guiding Ipswich back to the Top Flight again, decided he needed a rest from football and left Portman Rd.
There was talk at the time that Kieran was wanted by a few different clubs, including Fulham, however, Mr McKenna just left Ipswich to take a break and is currently recharging his batteries.
No doubt KM will be back in the dugout soon.
The ex-Bournemouth and Wolves Manager Gary O’Neil takes over from Kieran.
Gary is a likeable chap and will always give 100% and will demand the same from his players, however, the Ipswich faithful shouldn’t expect too much and should just enjoy the ride as it’s more than likely that the Tractor Boys will be back in the Championship at the end of next May.
Sunderland-
Regis Le Bris
In-
Thomas Meunier Lille free
Ethan Berry Crystal Palace free
Adam Nelson Glentoran free
Out-
Eleizer Mayenda Rennes £22 Million
Plus a few squad players released but none really of note.
This fixture was a Championship affair when the two teams last met.
Back in January 2024, Ipswich took the spoils from a 2-1 win over Sunderland at Portman Rd.
It was the same score at the Stadium of Light earlier on in that campaign.
Ipswich finished 2nd and were promoted to the Premier League with Sunderland finishing 16th.
The following season, Sunderland were promoted to the Top Flight via the playoffs, swapping places with Ipswich and cemented a second campaign in the Promised Land after finishing 7th last season, subsequently qualifying for the Europa League.
In the 2023/24 Championship season, Ipswich were promoted along with Leicester who won the title and Southampton who won the playoffs.
Remarkably, Leicester have just been relegated to League One, the third tier of English football, exactly 10 years after their famous Premier League Title victory back in 2016.
Added to Leicester, other teams in that Championship campaign, such as Sheffield Wednesday, Plymouth, and Huddersfield, are now in League One, along with Oxford United who had a brief dalliance with the Championship in 2024/25 and 25/26, before being relegated last season.
Luton, who were in the Premier League for the same 2023/24 season, are now in League One also.
Rotherham have dropped 2 divisions too from 23/24 and are now in League Two.
Betfred offer Ipswich at 13/8, the Draw at 12/5 and 6/4 for Sunderland to come away with all 3-points.
Betfred offer 11/2 that Brian Brobbey Scores First and 16/5 that Sunderland Win To Nil.
(If your pre-match First Goalscorer bet scores First and then scores a Second, Betfred DOUBLE the odds.
If they score a Third, Betfred TREBLE the odds.)
Away Win 0-1- Get 8/1 on Betfred & Claim your new account welcome offer!
NOTTINGHAM FOREST v LEEDS UNITED
15.00 in England
Nottingham Forest-
Oliver Glasner
In-
Ousmane Diomande Sporting Lisbon £34 Million
Xaver Schlager RB Leipzig free
Grady McDonnell Club Brugge free
Kasen Brown Man City free
Boyd Fraser Hearts undisclosed
Mason Ayre Glentoran undisclosed
Blaine McClure Rangers undisclosed
Out-
Elliot Anderson Man City £116 Million
Angus Gunn San Jose Earthquakes free
Jota Silva Olympiacos loan
Willy Boly released
Stefan Ortega released
Nottingham Forest’s enigmatic owner Evangelos Marinakis decided that Vitor Pereira had served his purpose in keeping the Tricky Trees in the Premier League but that was that, with Vitor finding himself the 4th Nottingham Forest Manager to leave the City Ground in less than a year.
Vitor followed Nuno Espírito Santo, who was sacked in September 2025, Ange Postecoglou, sacked in October 2025 and Sean Dyche who was relieved of his duties in February 2026.
Whilst that does appear reckless from the Greek owner, it is the opposite as the lad knows exactly what he wants for his team and does exactly what he wants to try and make Forest a force in the Premier League.
With Oliver Glasner deciding to leave Crystal Palace, Evangelos had no hesitation in thanking Vitor Pereira for his services, giving him a few quid and sending him down the concrete, bringing in Oliver to oversee the start of the 2026/27 Premier League campaign.
How long Mr Glasner lasts is anyone’s question but that’s for the future, for now, the first obstacle for Oliver, is overseeing a Forest team without the excellent Elliot Anderson who has been sold to Man City for a staggering £116 Million, which, for a couple of weeks, was a Transfer Record for an English player.
Morgan Rogers was then sold for £117 Million by Aston Villa to Chelsea, surpassing the record by a Million Pound.
Back in 1979, Nottingham Forest were involved in an English Transfer Record when Trevor Francis joined from Birmingham City for £1 Million.
Trevor repaid that fee, a couple of months later, by scoring the solitary winning goal in the 1979 European Cup Final against Malmo.
Now, 57 years later, that English Transfer Record has had a 11,600% increase.
The legendary ex-Nottingham Forest Midfielder and current Celtic Manager Martin O’Neil had a minor operation the other day, apparently, it was to remove last season’s SPubL trophy to make room for this year’s.
Leeds United-
Daniel Farke
In-
James Trafford Man City £40 Million
Tarik Muharemovic Sassuolo £34 Million
Harry Wilson Fulham free
Out-
Pascal Struijk Brighton £18 Million
Karl Darlow Manchester United free
Illan Meslier Arsenal free
Leeds United come into this new campaign with a New Goalkeeper and a New Forward, those being James Trafford from Man City and Harry Wilson from Fulham.
Both are excellent signings and should improve Daniel Farke’s Whites immensely.
James’ Transfer Fee is an English Record for a Goalkeeper, with Leeds paying Man City £40 Million, also a club record for the Elland Rd outfit.
Mr Trafford was the previous record holder for a Goalkeeper, when Man City paid Burnley £27 Million last season.
Jordan Pickford did eventually cost Everton £30 Million, however, that was with ad-ons, the initial Transfer Fee between Everton and Sunderland was £25 Million.
Harry Wilson is another great signing for the Whites, coming in from Fulham on a Free Transfer.
Maybe Harry’s Wales teammate Dan James was influential in bringing the Gifted Left Foot to Elland Rd.
This should be a great game to kick-start both teams’ 2026/27 Premier League season.
Betfred offer Nottingham Forest at 23/20, the Draw at 12/5 and 21/10 for Leeds United to come away with all 3-points.
Betfred offer 5/1 that Chris Wood Scores First and 3/1 that Harry Wilson Scores Anytime.
(If your pre-match First Goalscorer bet scores First and then scores a Second, Betfred DOUBLE the odds.
If they score a Third, Betfred TREBLE the odds.)
Draw 2-2- Get 12/1 on Betfred & Claim your new account welcome offer!
***Premier League Players To Watch Out For***
***GOALKEEPER- James Trafford-Leeds United
RIGHT-BACK- Juanlu Sanchez Bournemouth
CENTRE-BACK- Maxence Lacroix-Chelsea
CENTRE-BACK- Antonio Silva- Bournemouth
LEFT-BACK- Lewis Hall- Newcastle
MIDFIELDER- Elliot Anderson- Man City
MIDFIELDER- Kobbie Mainoo- Manchester United
MIDFIELDER- Bruno Guimaraes- Arsenal
FORWARD- Harry Wilson- Leeds United
FORWARD- Cole Palmer- Chelsea
FORWARD- Bryan Mbeumo Manchester United
STAR MAN- Erling Haaland- Man City
Erling will no doubt be the Star Man once again.
BRENTFORD v TOTTENHAM
17.30 in England
Sky Sports
Brentford-
Keith Andrews
In-
Mamadou Sangare Lens £39 Million
Jaidon Anthony Burnley £17 Million
Jannik Schuster RB Salzburg £17 Million
Joseph Wheeler-Henry Chelsea undisclosed
Callum Wilson West Ham free
Out-
Jordan Henderson Chelsea free
Frank Onyeka Coventry undisclosed
Plus a few squad players released but none really of note.
Whilst a lot assumed Keith Andrews was a downgrade on Thomas Frank, when Thomas left for Tottenham and Keith was appointed as the Brentford Manager, as it turned out, Keith surprised everyone and helped the Bees finish in 9th place with 53 points, narrowly missing out on a European spot on goal difference.
Despite losing Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa, players such as Igor Thiago, Kevin Schade and Dango Ouattara stepped up to the plate and scored the goals that Bryan and Yoane had done previously.
The Bees faithful will now be wanting their idols to go one further and get into the European places at the end of the season.
Tottenham-
Roberto De Zerbi
In-
Sandro Tonali Newcastle £100 Million
Mateus Fernandes West Ham £85 Million
Jan Paul van Hecke Brighton £52 Million
Martin Dubravka Burnley free
Andy Robertson Liverpool free
Marcos Senesi Bournemouth free
Cole Ramsey Aston Villa free
Out-
Luka Vuskovic Brighton £50 Million
Cristian Romero Atlético Madrid £34 Million
Djed Spence Inter Milan £30 Million
Will Lankshear Middlesbrough £20 Million
Tynan Thompson Manchester United £8 Million
Alejo Veliz Bahia £8 Million
Alfie Devine Preston £6 Million
Yves Bissouma released
Although it’s Tottenham who turn up at the GTech Stadium for this opener, it won’t be the ex-Bees’ Boss Thomas Frank in the dugout as Thomas didn’t see out the 2025/26 campaign at the New Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, being sacked in February after a poor string of results.
Roberto De Zerbi, eventually became the New Tottenham Manager, taking over in April.
One says ‘eventually’ as Tottenham did bring in a guy called Igor Tudor to try and get Spurs away from the relegation zone.
That didn’t happen and Igor was shown the door after just 7 games in charge.
Roberto De Zerbi was then appointed and guided Tottenham to a 17th-place finish with 41 points, 2 more than West Ham who finished in the final relegation place.
The hierarchy at Tottenham have decided to go big in the Transfer Market and as shown above, have spent a lot of money to bring in players such as Sandro Tonali, Andy Robertson, Marcos Senesi (although Andy and Marcos were freebies), Mateus Fernandes and Jean Paul Van Hecke.
Cristian Romero has left London and headed for Madrid to join up with his Argentinian mate Giuliano Simeone and Giuliano’s Dad Diego at Atletico.
Djed Spence has also left Tottenham and joined Inter Milan for a fee of around £30 Million.
(Djed joins up with his fellow England Defender John Stones at the San Siro).
Hopefully, for everyone connected with Tottenham Hotspur, there won’t be another season where the club languish in the bottom half of the table.
Betfred offer Brentford at 11/8, the Draw at 13/5 and 13/8 for Tottenham to come away with all 3-points.
Betfred offer 9/2 that Igor Thiago Scores First and 11/2 that Sandro Tonali Scores Anytime.
(If your pre-match First Goalscorer bet scores First and then scores a Second, Betfred DOUBLE the odds.
If they score a Third, Betfred TREBLE the odds.)
Draw 2-2- Get 11/1 on Betfred & Claim your new account welcome offer!
Sunday, August 23rd
BRIGHTON v ASTON VILLA
14.00 in England
Sky Sports
The James Milner Derby.
Brighton-
Fabian Hurzeler
In-
Luka Vuskovic Tottenham £50 Million
Zadok Yohanna AIK £21.5 Million
Pascal Struijk Leeds £18 Million
Costinha Olympiacos £8 Million
Michael Svobada Venezia £4 Million
Rodrigo Rego Benfica £3 Million
George Munday Cambridge, undisclosed
Valentin Joseph Blackburn undisclosed
Oliver Mayer Fulham, free
Out-
Jean Paul Van Hecke Tottenham £52 Million
Carl Rushworth Brighton £23 Million
Diego Coppola Paris FC £17 Million
Danny Welbeck Chelsea £11 Million
Joel Veltman West Ham free
James Milner Retired (all the best Jimbo)
Fabian Hurzeler (just over 2 years) is now the 4th longest-serving Manager in the Premier League behind Mikel Arteta (almost 7 years), Unai Emery (almost 4 years) and Daniel Farke (just over 3 years).
The old boy James Milner has called time on his career, after becoming the record holder for most appearances in the Premier League with 658 Top Flight games-
Leeds United- 48
Newcastle- 94
Aston Villa- 100
Man City- 147
Liverpool- 230
Brighton- 39
Covering 24 consecutive Premier League seasons from 2002-20026, scoring a total of 56 goals for the 6 clubs.
Probably that sum of 56 will surprise most people (it certainly surprised John Newsome) considering James scored his first Premier League goal in 2002 aged 16, beating Wayne Rooney’s previous record of being the youngest Premier League goal scorer.
Nevertheless, it’s been a fantastic career for Mr Milner, which includes 61 England Caps.
James’ medal haul is an impressive one-
Man City-
2x Premier League
1x FA Cup
1x League Cup
1x Community Shield
Liverpool-
1x Premier League
1x Champions League
1x UEFA Super Cup
1x FIFA World Club Cup
1x FA Cup
1x League Cup
1x Community Shield
All the best for the future James.
Brighton finished in 8th place last season, which earned a Europa Conference League spot (qualification needed) meaning a possible Thursday Night Football adventure for the Seagulls.
Aston Villa-
Unai Emery
In-
Johan Manzambi Freiburg £60 Million
Joao Gomes Wolves £38 Million
Matteo Ruggeri Atlético Madrid £22 Million
Modou Keba Cisse £5 Million
Alejandro Garnacho loan (possible £43 Million deal if certain criteria occur)
Out-
Morgan Rogers Chelsea £117 Million
Youri Tielemans Manchester United £36 Million
Donyell Malan Roma £22 Million
Lewis Dobbin Southampton £10 Million
Lucas Digne PSG £9 Million
Aston Villa finished 4th in the 2025/26 Premier League campaign which earned Villa a spot in the Champions League.
As it turned out, Aston Villa had already qualified for the Top European Competition by winning the Europa League a couple of days before the final game of the season.
Even though Villa had won the Europa League before the last game, which could have excused a potential poor performance against Man City, Villa actually gained a victory over City in that finale, finishing ahead of Liverpool.
The Europa League win set up a Super Cup Final against the Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain, which took place in Salzburg last Wednesday.
Despite Villa losing a few of their main men in Youri Tielemans, Lucas Digne and Morgan Rogers as well as being without Emiliano Martinez, Ollie Watkins and Ezri Konza, Unai’s Claret and Blues put in a decent performance against the Champions League winners.
Lucas Digne was sat on the PSG bench as a substitute but didn’t get to come on and play against his old mates.
The Villains should be excited about their 17-year-old sensation Brian Madjo who scored against PSG and looks a real handful.
Unai Emery managed PSG for 2-season’s back in 2016 before becoming the Arsenal Boss.
The two could meet again in the Champions League-League Phase which starts in September, with the draw taking place on the 27th of August, 2026.
Betfred offer Brighton at 5/4, the Draw at 11/4 and 7/4 for Aston Villa to come away with all 3-points.
Betfred offer 10/1 that Kaoru Mitoma Scores First and 6/4 that there are Over 3.5 Goals.
(If your pre-match First Goalscorer bet scores First and then scores a Second, Betfred DOUBLE the odds.
If they score a Third, Betfred TREBLE the odds.)
Draw 2-2- Get 10/1 on Betfred & Claim your new account welcome offer!
MAN CITY v BOURNEMOUTH
14.00 in England
Sky Sports
Man City-
Enzo Maresca
In-
Elliot Anderson Nottingham Forest £116m
Jeremy Monga Leicester City £10 Million
Pierce Charles Sheffield Wednesday £3 Million (sent straight on loan to QPR)
Geronimo Rulli Marseille £2 Million
Mathys Detourbet Troyes undisclosed
***Potential Signing-
Ayyoub Bouaddi Lille £85 Million
Out-
Bernardo Silva Real Madrid free
John Stones Inter Milan free
Manuel Akanji Inter Milan undisclosed
Tijjani Reijnders Al-Qadsiah £51 Million
James Trafford Leeds £40 Million
Nathan Ake Fenerbahce £9 Million
Reigan Heskey Cologne £6 Million
Jahmai Simpson-Pusey Cologne undisclosed
Isaac Smith Barnsley free
The post-Pep Guardiola era starts at the Etihad with a visit from Bournemouth, making the game a battle between two new Managers, with Enzo Maresca taking charge of the home team and Marco Rose overseeing the Cherries for the first time since succeeding Andoni Iraola.
Enzo isn’t new to the Citizens having been Pep’s Assistant back in 2022.
Before becoming the Chelsea Boss last season, Mr Maresca led Leicester back into the Premier League after the Foxes won the Championship back in 2024.
Enzo didn’t actually take charge of a Leicester game in the Premier League, having left the King Power at the end of the 2023/24 campaign to take over at Stamford Bridge, leading Chelsea to the Europa Conference League, then subsequently, the World Club Cup in the Summer of 2025.
Enzo Maresca left Chelsea in January 2026 and although at the time, there wasn’t any indication that Pep was leaving the Etihad, there must have been a few private conversations that took place which suggested that EM would be the next Man City Manager.
With the Numpty Neighbours improving their performances under Super Michael Carrick, it will be interesting to see who the Top Manc Dogs are this season.
Someone currently not on the ‘out’ list is Rodri but it’s increasingly likely that the Midfield Maestro will be on his way to Barcelona before the end of the Transfer Window.
Whilst this will be looked at as a big loss for City, one needs to look at the bigger picture.
Roadie Rodri is 30 now and whilst that is no age for a footballer, the number is only going up.
Barcelona is the perfect destination for the legend to mop up all the debris, with the forward players running wild.
Man City will get around £60 Million to reinvest, plus the added extra of the ‘New Rodri’ in Elliot Anderson, who is only 23 and potentially Ayyoub Bouaddi, who is even younger at 18.
So the negative of losing Rodri can easily be turned into a positive.
Bournemouth-
Marco Rose
In-
Antonio Silva Benfica £26 Million
Alvaro Rodriguez Elche £21 Million
Juanlu Sanchez Sevilla £10 Million
Out-
Hamed Traore Marseille £7 Million
Luis Sinisterra Cruzeiro £5 Million
Marcos Senesi Tottenham free
As mentioned, Bournemouth have also got a New Manager after Andoni Iraola left at the end of last season, with the German Marco Rose coming into the Vitality Stadium.
Marco could be considered a relatively unknown replacement for Andoni with not much information about the German on offer, other than Mr Rose has managed in the Austrian Bundesliga with Red Bull Salzburg, winning the title in 2018 and 19 and in the German Bundesliga with Red Bull Leipzig, so has obviously been a part of the Red Bull family.
The Cherry faithful will be hoping that their New Manager has the wings to keep, or even improve Bournemouth’s level of success, having finished 6th last season under Andoni Iraola and subsequently qualifying for the Europa League.
Betfred offer Man City at Odds On 4/9, the Draw at 18/5 and 5/1 for Bournemouth to come away with all 3-points.
Betfred offer 11/4 that Erling Haaland Scores First and Evens 1/1 that there are Over 3.5 Goals.
(If your pre-match First Goalscorer bet scores First and then scores a Second, Betfred DOUBLE the odds.
If they score a Third, Betfred TREBLE the odds.)
Home Win 4-0- Get 16/1 on Betfred & Claim your new account welcome offer!
NEWCASTLE v LIVERPOOL
16.30 in England
Sky Sports
Newcastle-
Matthias Jaissle
In-
Bazoumana Toure Hoffenheim £42Million
Aladji Bamba Monaco £36 Million
Amar Dedic Benfica £30 Million
Lukas Hornicek Braga £26 Million
Sean Steur Ajax £23 Million
Ewen Jaouen Reims £19 Million
Out-
Sandro Tonali Tottenham £100 Million
Bruno Guimaraes £75 Million
Anthony Gordon Barcelona £69 Million
Kieran Trippier Wolves free
Matt Targett Hull free
The Kevin Keegan Derby.
It’s probably quite fitting that the opening game of the season is between two clubs that are synonymous with the Great Kevin Keegan.
Kevin is a true legend of the game, having spells at both teams, both as a player and in Newcastle’s case, the Manager also.
KK was born in a little Yorkshire Village called Armthorpe in Doncaster and started his career at Scunthorpe, before the Great Bill Shankly took the boy to Anfield in 1971, where Kevin spent 6 years playing for the famous Liverpool, ultimately winning the European Cup in 1977.
Added to that ultimate Medal was a First Division Title (equivalent of the Premier League) in 1973, 1976 and 1977 plus the FA Cup in 1974 and the UEFA Cup in 1973 and 1976.
Kevin went on to play for Hamburg and played in a 2nd European Cup Final against Nottingham Forest in 1980 but unfortunately, lost that particular game.
Mr Keegan won the Ballon d’Or in 1978 and 1979.
As a youngster, Kevin Keegan was considered an idol to John Newsome and there were many a time when John would be playing on the local field, scoring the goals and shouting,
‘Keegan scored again!’
Kevin returned to England after his spell in Germany and signed for Southampton before heading to Newcastle.
After Kevin eventually packed in playing, the legend started his Managerial Career with Newcastle, Fulham and then the pinnacle with England.
After the England job, it was a stint at Man City, before returning to Newcastle for one last hurrah.
The Boy from Doncaster never forgot his roots and will live on in the memories of every football fan in England and Germany, whether Scunthorpe, Liverpool, Hamburg, Southampton, or Newcastle.
The following is taken from this EveryTip column published during Covid Times back in March 2020-
‘Wednesday 3 April 1996
LIVERPOOL 4 v NEWCASTLE 3
It would be remiss of anyone doing a Top-10 Best Premier League Game Review to not include, possibly, the best game of them all, over the 27-years or so.
On a beautiful Spring Wednesday evening back in April 1996, Liverpool legend, Kevin Keegan, now manager of Newcastle, took his charges down to Anfield and took part in an extraordinary game against Roy Evans’ Liverpool.
Robbie Fowler opened the scoring after just 2-minutes getting his head on the end of a superb cross from Stan Collymore.
Stan was a brilliant footballer who was very underrated.
If given a chance and under the current situation regarding the World, there will be plenty of chances, take the time to Google Stan Collymore and watch the lad over his career that started at Crystal Palace, then Southend.
Frank Clark, who had just taken over the hot seat at Nottingham Forest after the legend that was Brian Clough retired, signed Stan for Forest, where his sublime skills really began to shine.
Whilst not prolific in front of goal at Palace or Southend, Big Stan ran amok scoring plenty in a Forest side that suited his play. Forest had been relegated at the end of the inaugural 1992/93 Premier League season and Sir Brian had earned his retirement.
Frank brought Stan in to score goals in Division 1, what is now known as the Championship and Stan did just that, helping Forest gain automatic promotion back to the Premier League after the 1-season hiatus.
Stan continued to score goals in the Premier League and it was rumoured Sir Alex Ferguson wanted to bring Mr Collymore to Old Trafford.
That move didn’t materialise but at the end of the 1994/95 season, the goals earned Collymore a move to Liverpool to join the Spice Boys, in what was, at the time, at £8 Million, an English Transfer Record.
Watch Stan with the ball, he is one of the dying breeds that can comfortably kick with both feet as shown in the cross that leads to Robbie Fowler’s opener.
Les Ferdinand quickly got Newcastle back on level terms after 10-minutes before David Ginola gave the Magpies the lead soon after Les’ goal.
With no more 1st-half goals the teams went into the dressing rooms with Newcastle having the advantage and although 3-goals scored in the first 14-minutes, there weren’t many other signs that this was to turn into a classic.
Liverpool’s faithful nicknamed Robbie Fowler ‘God’ due to his goal-scoring prowess.
God equalised for the Reds soon after the restart, however, the equality didn’t last long as the Colombian sensation Faustino ‘Tino’ Asprilla immediately restored Newcastle’s lead, with a beautiful goal.
After providing the assist for Robbie Fowler’s 1st, Stan decided he wanted to get in on the goal-scoring act and equalised in the 68th-minute.
With time up on the clock, the Game of the Decade was decided by Stan the Man who latched onto a pass from John Barnes and smashed the ball past the Newcastle ‘keeper Pavel Srnicek.
The game was live on Sky Sports with the cameras quickly panning to Kevin Keegan who was slumped over the advertising hoarding in dismay.
On show at Anfield that Wednesday night, were, for Liverpool, David James, Mark Wright, John Scales, Neil Ruddock, Jason McAteer, Jamie Redknapp, John Barnes, Rob Jones, Steve McManaman, Stan Collymore and Robbie Fowler, with Ian Rush coming on as a substitute late on in the proceedings.
For Newcastle, Kevin chose, Pavel Srnicek, Steve Watson, Steve Howey, Philippe Albert, John Beresford, Peter Beardsley, David Batty, Robert Lee, David Ginola, Tino Asprilla and Les Ferdinand.
Bearing in mind, Newcastle were Top of the Premier League table and clear by 12-points in the February of 1996.
At the time of this game, Manchester United had overhauled the 12-point deficit and were now 3-points ahead of Keegan’s Magpies, however, Newcastle had played 2-games less than United so it was still in Kevin’s hands.
Following this defeat against Liverpool and subsequent losses in April ‘96, Kevin Keegan provided one of the most explosive post-match interviews ever, following Newcastle’s 1-0 victory against Leeds United on Sky Sports Monday Night Football.
Let’s just say ‘I would love it, love it!’
Manchester United went on to win the 1995/96 Premier League despite being 12-points adrift of Newcastle in February.
It’s fair to say that Sir Alex Ferguson got the better of Kevin Keegan that particular year, however Double K did get revenge over Sir Alex a few months later, with Newcastle inflicting a devastating defeat on United at St James Park by a 5-0 scoreline.
Liverpool 4 v Newcastle 3 will be remembered forever.’
Rest In Peace Sir Kevin Keegan!
Another Battle of the New Managers, with Matheus Jaissle in the Newcastle dugout for the first time and Andoni Iraola overseeing Liverpool in this opener.
Whilst composing this Game Week-1 EveryTip Preview back at the end of July, Eddie Howe was still the Manager of Newcastle until News came through that Eddie had had enough and decided to walk away from St James Park.
If one looks at the ‘ins’ and ‘outs’ above that’s basically the reason Mr Howe has gone, as it does feel as if the rug was slowly being pulled from under him, with the Saudi Owners seemingly selling off the talent and replacing the likes of Sandro Tonali, Anthony Gordon and Bruno Guimaraes with the youngsters mentioned.
That’s not to say that the incoming players won’t be any good, only time will tell on that narrative, it’s just the fact that Sandro, Anthony, Bruno and Kieran are established Premier League players and the newbies aren’t.
Even though Eddie’s departure came as some sort of surprise, the Saudi Owners made an immediate appointment, bringing in Matthias Jaissle, who just happened to be the Manager of the Saudi Arabian team Al-Ahli.
A bit of background information on Matthias, the German was the Manager at the Austrian Club Red Bull Salzburg and oversaw RB’s Austrian Bundesliga Titles in 2022 and 2023.
Some of the players Matthias Jaissle coached at RB include, Manchester United’s Benjamin Sesko and Leeds United’s Brenden Aaronson and Noah Okafor.
After RB Salzburg, Matthias moved on to Al-Ahli and for a brief time, coached Ivan Toney, Riyad Mahrez and Edouard Mendy.
Matthias will become the 11th Manager out of the 20 clubs, who will lead their team for the first time in the Premier League.
Bournemouth, Chelsea, Coventry, Crystal Palace, Fulham, Hull, Ipswich, Liverpool, Man City and Nottingham Forest are the others.
One thing’s for certain, it will definitely be a very interesting and exciting total of 380 Premier League games.
Liverpool-
Andoni Iraola
In-
Jeremy Jacquet Rennes £60 Million
Victor Munoz Osasuna £35 Million
Ronald Araujo Barcelona loan
Ifeanyi Ndukwe Austria Wien undisclosed
***Potential Signings-
Bradley Barcola PSG £100 Million
Ibrahim Mbaye PSG £50 Million
Out-
Mohamed Salah Trabzonspor free
Andy Robertson Tottenham free
Ibrahima Konate Real Madrid free
As mentioned, Andoni Iraola comes into Anfield to replace Arne Slot, after the Dutchman was sacked a couple of days after the season ended.
Arne will definitely not be back, after overseeing 20 Liverpool defeats in all competitions.
The hierarchy went early in getting a replacement, bringing in Andoni Iraola after the Spaniard’s departure from Bournemouth, following the expiration of his contract at the Vitality.
It was thought that Andoni would return to Spain to take over at Athletic Bilbao but when Liverpool come calling, no one turns down the chance to Manage the Legendary Scousers.
Liverpool finished in 5th but still qualified for the Champions League after UEFA gave the Premier League an extra place.
Ironically, the 5th-placed finish prevented Bournemouth from qualifying for the Champions League, as, if Aston Villa (who finished 4th) had finished 5th and Liverpool 4th, then the Cherries would have got the extra Champions League spot, as Villa had already clinched their place following their Europa League win.
That won’t bother AI who will hope Artificial Intelligence isn’t needed for his New Liverpool squad which could potentially include the Paris Saint-Germain and France forward Bradley Barcola and Bradley’s PSG teammate Ibrahim Mbaye.
Betfred offer Newcastle at 21/10, the Draw at 3/1 and Evens 1/1 for Liverpool to come away with all 3-points.
Betfred offer 9/2 that Alexander Isak Scores First and 7/5 that Liverpool Score in Both Halves.
(If your pre-match First Goalscorer bet scores First and then scores a Second, Betfred DOUBLE the odds.
If they score a Third, Betfred TREBLE the odds.)
Away Win 1-2- Get 7/1 on Betfred & Claim your new account welcome offer!
Monday, August 24th
FULHAM v CHELSEA
20.00 in England
Sky Sports
Fulham-
Alvaro Arbeloa
In-
Gonzalo Garcia Real Madrid £34 Million
Shea Charles Southampton £26 Million
Cesar Palacios Real Madrid £9 Million
Jonah Kusi-Asare Bayern Munich £5 Million
Out-
Issa Diop Ipswich £9 Million
Sasa Lukic Fulham £9 Million
Raul Jimenez Wolves free
Harry Wilson Leeds free
This West London Derby is the 3rd fixture of the weekend that will see both teams having a different Manager than when the season finished in May.
Marco Silva decided to leave Craven Cottage and head back home to Portugal to take charge of Benfica, following Jose Mourinho in the dugout, after the ‘Special One’ was re-appointed as the Real Madrid Head Coach/Manager.
The coincidence in that is, Marco takes over from Jose at Estádio da Luz, Jose takes over from Alvaro Arbeloa at the Bernabeu and Alvaro takes over from Marco at Craven Cottage.
As the great Jimmy Greaves used to say,
‘Football, it’s a funny old game!’
Alvaro has been connected with Real Madrid for most of his career, whether playing for the Youth Team, Reserves or the First Team, as well as Managing the Reserves and then the First Team before leaving the Bernabeu in June.
However, AA did have a spell in England playing for Liverpool and later, West Ham before finally hanging up his boots and going down the coaching route.
Chelsea-
Xabi Alonso
In-
Morgan Rogers Aston Villa £117 Million
Maxence Lacroix Crystal Palace £51 Million
Geovany Quenda Sporting £44 Million
Marco Palestra Atalanta £43 Million
Valentin Barco Strasbourg £34 Million
Pep Chavarria Rayo Vallecano £17 Million
Danny Welbeck Brighton £11 Million
Denner Corinthians £9 Million
Dastan Satpaev Kairat Almaty £2 Million
Jordan Henderson Brentford free
Emmanuel Emegha Strasbourg
undisclosed
Out-
Marc Cucurella Real Madrid £52 Million
Andrey Santos Man Utd £50
Alejandro Garnacho loan to Aston Villa possible deal £43 Million if certain criteria occur
Trevoh Chalobah Como £31 Million
Tyrique George Everton £24 Million
Jimmy-Jay Morgan West Brom £4 Million
Another opening week coincidence is that Alvaro took over from Xabi Alonso at the Bernabeu when Xabi was relieved of his duties as the Real Manager.
Now the two ex-Liverpool teammates go head to head in this Game Week-1 affair which, no doubt, both Spaniards will be going all out to get the early 3-points.
Xabi Alonso takes over at Stamford Bridge following the exploits of Liam Rosenior and Calum McFarlane after Enzo Maresca departed Chelsea in January.
The Chelsea Pensioners are iconic retired Soldiers of the British Army who live at the Royal Hospital Chelsea in London.
Chelsea FC are fast becoming the New Home of the said Pensioners after signing the Old Boys Danny Welbeck and Jordan Henderson.
The hierarchy at Stamford Bridge have used the model of just signing youngsters over the last few years on long-term contracts but Xabi must have had a word before becoming Boss and asked for a few old heads to come in to the dressing room and impart some of their knowledge on the youths.
Danny and Jordan will probably not play all the time but their experience will be invaluable to the Chelsea team.
That said, the last outing for Jordan, saw the ex-Bee attempting to jump over an advertising hoarding following England’s victory over Mexico at the Azteca.
Subsequently, breaking his arm.
Even the Chelsea Pensioners laughed at that one!
Hopefully, JH can keep all his bones in one piece over the next 9-months.
Chelsea are not in any European Competitions this season, so will just have the Premier League, EFL Cup and FA Cup to play for.
Betfred offer Fulham at 21/10, the Draw at 11/4 and 21/20 for Chelsea to come away with all 3-points.
Betfred offer 13/2 that Cole Palmer Scores First and 5/1 that Chelsea Win Both Halves.
(If your pre-match First Goalscorer bet scores First and then scores a Second, Betfred DOUBLE the odds.
If they score a Third, Betfred TREBLE the odds.)
Away Win 1-3- Get 14/1 on Betfred & Claim your new account welcome offer!
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