Matchday 1 expectations from Premier League clubs.

The English Premier League kicks off on Friday and I can tell that football fanatics are prepared to take on the challenge of the new football season, isn't it funny how we prepare and look forward to the resumption of the league? Football is one of the things that still bring smiles to the face of the people in this world full of troubles so why wouldn't we be happy?

We had a series of entertaining friendly matches but they won't still match the excitement the leagues bring, the competition is the real deal for many of us at the moment. I decided to put my thoughts about Matchday 1 in words and I like to know your thoughts about the matches coming up this weekend.

_{Matchday 1 will kick off tomorrow and I would like to share my thoughts about some matches this weekend with football enthusiasts across the globe.}.

Crystal palace vs Arsenal.

Crystal Palace is definitely one of the teams that put a stop to Arsenal's top four dreams in the 2021/22 Premier League season, the gunners lost three goals to nothing away from home back in April to Crystal Palace and facing them on the first match of the league resumption will be a revenge match for the Gunners.

Although Crystal Palace will host Arsenal at Selhurst Park, it doesn't look like the home advantage will play against a team that is very prepared for the new Premier League season. Arsenal had a great preseason and crowning it with a 6-0 against Sevilla in the Emirate cup is a lot to talk about, one of the things I am certain about is Arsenal banking on their attacking prowess in the new season.

Gabriel Jesus seems to be the perfect man for Arsenal attacking job or is it too early to say? I think he is definitely going to boost Arsenal's chances of success this season. I wouldn't be surprised if he competes with the likes of Salah and Kane for the golden boot because he is in a club that will give him total control of his game. I am not expecting him to struggle much because he is familiar with Premier League football unlike Darwin and Haaland, we can tell from how much he settled well into the Arsenal squad during the pre-season matches.

Unlike many fans have expected, the encounter wouldn't be easy for both sides but I believe Arsenal should get all three points and both teams to score.

Fulham vs Liverpool

Fulham are been handed a tough fixture on their return to the English Premier League, and I don't know if that would inspire or kill the morale of the team. Both clubs last played against each other in the 2020/21 season before they were relegated and surprisingly, they got the best of Liverpool that season but will they stand a chance against the current Liverpool squad?

It would be a tough one for them against Liverpool no matter how prepared they are against the Premier League giant, Jurgen Klopp and his boys look ready to take down any team at the moment.

Liverpool won the community shield after taking on their biggest rival in the league at the moment, it ended with FA Cup and the Carabao Cup winners adding another Cup to their trophy cabinet. Manchester City conceded three times and you can tell that Liverpool isn't joking as they prepare for the new season.

Liverpool will start the campaign on away soil but it definitely doesn't matter for a team that has got a formidable force in every area of the field and the new pairs in attack will definitely cause lots of problems like we saw against Manchester City for the newly promoted club. Without thinking further, I think Liverpool will win this encounter with a good number of goals.

Looking back at their previous encounters, Fulham isn't a side that can just be underrated. They are always up for the challenge against Liverpool but it doesn't look like Liverpool will give them the chances as usual.

Everton vs Chelsea

The two clubs haven't been impressive during the preseason matches even though they won two matches each, I was surprised to see Chelsea concede four goals against Arsenal. The blues will be missing the action of many players in a different position and that might have a huge impact on them, we have seen them bring in new players but I don't expect to see them hit the ground running immediately after the league kicks off.

Everton have lost one of their fire powers to Spurs after a terrible 2021/22 Premier League campaign, the Meyerside club barely survived the relegation and it would be challenging for them if they can't find better replacements for the players that left the club, Everton might not be lucky in 2022/23 Premier League campaign like they were in the previous season.

I am not expecting much from both sides, Chelsea stands the better chance of winning the match and I am sure their big signings coupled with the like of Recce James, Ziyech, and many others would want to start the league on a good account.

Tottenham Hotspur vs Southampton

Spurs will be looking forward to continuing with their awesome finish last season, they finish fourth after picking up necessary points in the second half of the league.

The club has done some big signings during this transfer and you can tell they want something bigger than just finishing in the top four, I will say the club already has awesome players and bringing in the likes of Perisic, Lenglet, Richarlison, Bissouma and many others give me an insight of what to expect from them, it would be nothing but great football.

Southampton has been struggling in the Premier League but they have somehow been able to stay away from relegation, they ended 15th in the previous season and with the few players they have signed, I hope to see them finish higher in the new season.

Tottenham failed to get a win against Southampton last season, they lost one and played a draw in two meetings. With the team's current form, Tottenham has the biggest chance of winning the match. Southampton will be up for the challenge as well but I doubt if they will be able to match up with Tottenham's energy in front of their home crowd at the resumption of the league.

Westham United vs Manchester City.

There has been a lot of speculation about Manchester City form not reaching what they need to dominate the league and I think we might be wrong. The Community Shield is not enough to judge their performance even though they were sloppy during the match against Liverpool, we have seen them start the season on poor form but they ended up winning the league.

It would be a wrong idea for any team to look down on Manchester City because the real challenge is just about to start and we will see the best of them. Kevin De Bruyne remains the heart of the team and I believe Haaland should be able to balance Manchester City's attacking role so that De Bruyne can focus more on creating chances, they are still in great shape regardless of what we think about them.

West Ham United keeps improving every season, I was amazed at how they kept their spirit high in the Europa League last season. The team consists of average players who are determined to make things happen and I believe that if they keep up the pace, they will be smiling someday with a title in their hands.

For about two seasons now, Westham has been giving Manchester City a tough time. City has managed to get a win against them twice in two seasons and all were at the Etihad Stadium, their encounters in London have ended in a draw. The progress is not rapid but Westham is not stagnant and I won't be surprised if they pull great stunts in the league this season.

Both sides facing each other in their first match is a high test for both teams and they can know how well they have prepared so far, the team energy is high and I believe there are bigger chances of getting more than three goals in that match. I am not certain about the match winner but I am sure it will be a great and challenging game for both teams.

Manchester United vs Brighton.

One of the teams that have impressed me so far in the preseason is Manchester United, they have improved from the Manchester United we used to know under the management of the new manager Ten Hag. The former Ajax man has been able to bring some of the players back into shape and I know he still has a lot of work to do with the team.

While United struggled last season, Brighton has a great season and Manchester United gave them their biggest victory in the 2021/22 Premier League campaign, their second-leg encounter ended 4-0 at the Falmer Stadium. It is a new season and I believe we have a reformed Manchester United ready to take on any team in the league.

The team confidence has grown compared to what we saw last season and I expect nothing but total dominance from Manchester United on Saturday at Old Trafford. Manchester United won the encounter at Old Trafford last season and they will as well do the same but we might be seeing more goals than we saw last season.

Brighton had to let go of some of their best legs but the new signings should be able to keep them in shape and for Manchester United, I am certain they will have a better season than we saw last season.

In preparation for the league excitement, I have set up my fantasy team and you can see them below. I made a few changes to the squad I used in the previous seasons and I hope to finish above 2800 points in the new season.

_{Screenshot from the PL fantasy page}

Thanks for reading.