Player to score – Martin Odegaard (Arsenal v Nottingham Forest)
Arsenal have their sights on the Premier League title again after finishing second last season and will start their campaign with a favourable home match against Nottingham Forest. The Gunners have scored over 2.5 goals in seven of their last eight home matches in the league and that run will likely continue on Saturday.
Martin Odegaard enjoyed his best-ever goal-scoring season last term, netting 15 times in just 37 Premier League appearances. The Norwegian midfielder will once again provide a goal threat from the centre of the pitch and will look to exploit pockets of space in front of the Forest defensive line.
Skipper 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/vr3djyHfg5
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) August 8, 2023
Under 2.5 total goals – Manchester Utd v Wolves (7/5)
There is optimism around Manchester United ahead of the start of the new season, but Erik Ten Hag’s team might struggle for firepower until Rasmus Hojlund is fit enough to feature. United have scored under 2.5 goals in 13 of their last 14 matches in all competitions, highlighting their issues in front of goal.
Wolves also struggled for goals last season, scoring just 31 times in 38 fixtures. What’s more, Manchester United and Wolves have a track record of producing insipid matches against each other – there have been under 2.5 total goals in seven of the last eight meetings between the two clubs.
Match to be a draw – Chelsea v Liverpool (13/5)
Chelsea are looking to bounce back after a dreadful 2022/23 season while Liverpool are also targeting improvement. The outcome of Sunday’s match at Stamford Bridge will help set the tone for the season ahead with Mauricio Pochettino taking charge of his first Premier League match as Blues boss.
Liverpool are unbeaten in their last 11 matches in all competitions. The Reds have attacking quality, but their midfield remains a work-in-progress following a summer rebuild. Meanwhile, there have been under 3.5 total goals in 13 of the last 15 meetings between Chelsea and Liverpool. This could finish even.
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) August 10, 2023
Both teams to score – Brentford v Tottenham (4/7)
Brentford exceeded expectations by finishing in the top half of the Premier League table last season while Tottenham Hotspur are hoping for improvement after a disappointing 2022/23 campaign. Ange Postecoglou will take charge of his first Premier League match and his methods might take time to take root at Spurs.
Both teams have found the back of the net in Tottenham’s last three league matches while Brentford are unbeaten in 14 of their last 15 home matches. This could be a tricky start for Spurs, although with Ivan Toney suspended Brentford might not pose the same goal threat.
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The 2023/24 Premier League season will kick off on Friday evening with promoted Burnley welcoming defending champions Manchester City to Turf Moor. City have won their last 11 matches against the Clarets in all competitions. What’s more, they have been winning at half time and full time in their last eight matches against Burnley.
Burnley have strengthened since winning last season’s Championship title, adding James Trafford, Sande Berge a couple other new signings to their squad. City might be slightly undercooked after losing Ilkay Gundogan and Riyad Mahrez over the summer, but they have won their last six matches against Burnley without even conceding a goal.