The much-anticipated English Premier League season kicks off in just 10 days. Here is your guide for Week 1:
When Does Premier League Start?
Week 1 Schedule
Friday, August 9th
- Norwich City at Liverpool 3:00 p.m. ET
Saturday, August 10th
- Manchester City at West Ham 7:30 a.m. ET
- Everton at Crystal Palace 10:00 a.m. ET
- Southampton at Burnley FC 10:00 a.m. ET
- Brighton at Watford 10:00 a.m. ET
- Sheffield United at Bournemouth 10:00 a.m. ET
- Aston Villa at Tottenham 12:30 p.m. ET
Sunday, August 11th
- Wolves at Leicester City 9:00 a.m. ET
- Arsenal at Newcastle 9:00 a.m. ET
- Chelsea at Manchester United 11:30 a.m. ET
Matchups to Watch
Norwich City at Liverpool
The opening match will take place on Friday, August 8, with Champions League title-holder Liverpool hosting newly promoted Norwich City. It will certainly be a baptism by fire for Norwich, but that’s not to say it isn’t up to the challenge. The Canaries finished top of the Championship last season, scoring the most goals of any team in the league. Expect a high-scoring affair with both teams exhibiting their offensive flair.
Wolves at Leicester City
Embed from Getty Images
Considered by most to be the best two teams outside of the Top 6 (Man City, Liverpool, Chelsea, Tottenham, Arsenal, Man United), both these teams will be looking to prove they deserve to be in contention for European competition this season.
Chelsea at Manchester United
Embed from Getty Images
Frank Lampard’s Premier League coaching debut will not be an easy one. The former Chelsea midfield legend, now turned manager, faces Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday, August 11. This should be an excellent matchup between two historically top teams that are in the process of retooling their squads.
Chelsea faced a bit of a speed-bump this summer when it was given a one-year transfer ban for youth transfer misconduct but still managed to secure an Eden Hazard replace in Christian Pulisic before the ban was instated. Lampard will look to prove his managerial quality by remaining competitive in the league despite not being able to sign any players. United fans, now entering their first full season with Ole Gunnar Solskjær, will likely see this game as a test of Solskjaer’s longevity as United’s manager. Solskjær had an excellent start to his Manchester United managerial career, winning 14 of his first 19 games as a caretaker manager before being given full managerial duties by the club in the spring of last season. However, after receiving his promotion, Solskjær won just two of his last 10. This match, along with the beginning of this season, will certainly serve a test of whether Solskjær can hack it as a coach at this level.
If you don’t think you can last another week without watching Premier League soccer, well do I have some good news for you. The Community Shield, a cup final which pits last year's FA Cup winner against the previous winner of the Premier League, is happening this weekend on Sunday, August 4. Manchester City won both of those tournaments last year, so it will play against the league runner-up Liverpool. This matchup between the two Premier League favorites should be an exciting reintroduction to Premier League soccer.
Community Shield Match Details
Liverpool vs Manchester City 10:00 a.m. ET (Sunday, August 4)