With the new Premier League season less than two weeks away, Greg Lea looks at five most of the most intriguing games in the opening month of the season
• More: PL fixtures in UAE time | Countdown
Arsenal v Liverpool, Sunday 14 August
The biggest clash of the opening weekend takes place at the Emirates Stadium, where Arsenal and Liverpool will both be keen to lay down an early marker against fellow top-four contenders.
Although Arsene Wenger and Jurgen Klopp will probably have their eyes set higher than that as they attempt to return the title to their respective clubs’ trophy cabinets, the summer strengthening of many of their traditional rivals at the top means both managers may have to settle for a place in the Uefa Champions League at best.
These two teams played out an entertaining goalless draw at the same venue last August but goals should come this time around.
Manchester United v Southampton, Friday 19 August
Jose Mourinho announced himself to English football with a celebratory run down the Old Trafford touchline as his Porto side knocked Manchester United out of the Champions League in 2004.
On this occasion the Portuguese will be in the home dugout for the first time, and it will be interesting to see whether he can make a positive first impression in front of his new club’s supporters.
United have again spent heavily this summer and will be aiming to launch a championship challenge, while Southampton will hope to transition from Ronald Koeman to Claude Puel as smoothly as they did from Mauricio Pochettino to Koeman two years ago.
Leicester City v Arsenal, Saturday 20 August
Last season’s top two meet at the King Power Stadium on the second weekend of the campaign, with Arsenal targeting a repeat of the comfortable 5-2 win they managed at the same ground last term.
It is difficult to predict how well Leicester will do this year – the top four feels like it could be out of reach but it is impossible to write the champions off after their extraordinary exploits in 2015/16 – and victory here would certainly make people sit up and take notice all over again.
Sunderland v Middlesbrough, Sunday 21 August
Middlesbrough are back in the top flight after a seven-year absence and will travel to Sunderland for a local derby in their first away game of the campaign.
Replacing new England boss Sam Allardyce with David Moyes was an astute move by Sunderland but another season of struggle could still be in store, while Aitor Karanka’s men – who finished second in the Championship last time out – will simply be targeting Premier League survival in their first season back in the top flight since 2009.
There will therefore be more than just bragging rights on the line when the north-east duo go head-to-head at the Stadium Of Light later this month.
Manchester City v West Ham United, Sunday 28 August
Pep Guardiola begins his Manchester City reign against Sunderland on the opening weekend, but this meeting with West Ham two weeks later has the potential to be one of the most entertaining encounters in the first month of the Premier League season.
Slaven Bilic’s charges recorded a surprise victory at the Etihad Stadium early on in 2015/16 and could cause the hosts problems on the counter-attack once more, while it will be intriguing to see how this new-look City outfit are taking shape in what will be Guardiola’s fifth competitive game in charge.
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