Premier League Preview GW 1
It’s a month later than usual, but the Premier League is back in business for the 2020/21 season. The excitement is intensifying, as we look ahead to the opening weekend’s fixtures. Four sides are not in action due to Man United and Man City’s European exploits, with Burnley and Aston Villa also sitting out. Liverpool look to defend their title and begin with a very interesting looking game against Championship winners Leeds United. Here at LeoVegas, we take a look at all the latest Premier League tips and UK sports betting odds.
Now, here are some of our selected odds for the Premier League Gameweek 1.
Fulham vs Arsenal - 12:30pm 12th September
Fulham will be delighted to return to the big time at the first attempt, and a tasty London derby to start means it’s no quiet beginning. They’ve strengthened in some areas but there are still big question marks on the entire squad, as there are no real proven commodities at Premier League level. As has been the case for the last two and a half seasons, Arsenal will be relying on their superb talisman Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang for the majority of the goals. The good news for the Gunners is that he seems to be better than ever, and is fresh off leading the team to FA Cup and Community Shield wins. Against a defensively suspect newly promoted side, he could run riot.
Crystal Palace vs Southampton - 3:00pm 12th September
Crystal Palace have a number of issues coming into the season, including an aging squad and lack of attacking threat. The Eagles have added striker Michy Batshuayi to their ranks after a successful loan spell a few years ago, but this game might come too soon for him. Southampton looked great at the back end of last season and look primed for a top 10 finish this time around. It’s not just momentum on their side either, as Southampton also have recent history to their advantage. The Saints have won their last three Premier League visits to Selhurst Park without conceding a single goal.
Liverpool vs Leeds United - 5:30pm 12th September
It can be difficult for some sides to retain the title, as it’s a very different task having the moniker of defending champions. Liverpool are more than good enough to deal with all of those pressures though, so write them off at your peril. They have a superb defence and attack with some of the best players in the world in their positions and will be out to prove just that in this game. Leeds are back in the Premier League after an astonishing 16 years in the Football League. One of the biggest clubs in the country are back, and this fixture is exactly what they’ve been missing: the chance to challenge themselves against the best. However, the Reds are usually fast starters in the Premier League, winning six of their last seven games on opening day and drawing the other.
West Ham United vs Newcastle United - 8:00pm 12th September
We mentioned this in our Premier League Outright Betting Preview, but there seem to be a lot of issues at West Ham and the fans are openly at odds with the board. That negativity can easily seep onto the pitch, so it remains to be seen how they perform. This game is crucial for them already, as they face six of last season’s top seven in their first seven matches and could be cut adrift early, as odd as that sounds. Their opponents Newcastle have had a busy week, signing Callum Wilson, Ryan Fraser and Jamal Lewis while also being openly at odds with the Premier League over their takeover process. Wilson is set for his debut, and he’s scored seven goals in eight games against West Ham.
West Bromwich Albion vs Leicester City - 2:00pm 13th September
The last of the three promoted sides to discuss are West Brom, who are a bit of a wildcard this time around. Manager Slaven Bilic has done well before, but it remains to be seen if the squad is good enough. Leicester needed a fresh start after their poor form in 2020, but there are signs that it might be a much tougher season. Neither of these sides are set up to defend, especially as Leicester’s leader at the back Jonny Evans is suspended. West Brom also have exciting options going forward, in the form of Matheus Pereira and Grady Diangana while Jamie Vardy grabbed the golden boot for Leicester last season. Hopefully we’ll get goals.
Tottenham Hotspur vs Everton - 4:30pm 13th September
Much talk around Spurs at the moment is surrounding the Amazon documentary, which has been a great watch so far. They’ll be aiming for a top four finish this season, but they start as outsiders with other sides strengthening. Everton have made some good signings in the form of James Rodriguez, Allan and Abdoulaye Doucouré but it remains to be seen if any will start in this game. Overall, Harry Kane looked tired in midweek when playing for England, and if he’s not firing then we don’t expect Spurs to score loads of goals. As such, Under 2.5 Goals might provide a little bit of value.
Sheffield United vs Wolverhampton Wanderers - 6:00pm 14th September
We are excited about the start of the Premier League season, but for the second game in a row we think this may be low scoring. Sheffield United and Wolves are two of the best defences in the league, and neither will want to start the season with a defeat. It would not be a surprise at all to see this game be a 0-0 draw, which it almost was back on 8th July until John Egan popped up on 90+3.
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Chelsea - 8:15pm 14th September
Graham Potter has been successful in adjusting Brighton’s style of play, and staying in the Premier League was the main target last year. This time around, they’ll be looking to push on and perhaps challenge more towards the top 10. They’ve lost Aaron Mooy in midfield so a bit of creativity is gone, but they have some very good players at the back with the potential to improve. Chelsea have had an unbelievable transfer window, bringing in Timo Werner, Kai Havertz, Hakim Ziyech, Ben Chilwell and Thiago Silva. German striker Werner is the one expected to hit the ground running, and after 28 goals in 34 Bundesliga games last season he certainly knows where the net is.
*all odds correct at the time of writing and are subject to change