After what seems like an eternity, the Premier League finally returns tomorrow, and there is plenty to look forward to in what promises to be an exciting opening round of fixtures.
It all kicks off at Stamford Bridge tomorrow in the early fixture, when Carlo Ancelotti’s Chelsea start their Premier League campaign against Hull City. The early signs appear to be good for the Italian, although the same was true of Luiz Felipe Scolari this time last year. Hull new boy Stephen Hunt is in for a hostile reception from Chelsea fans who haven’t forgotten his challenge on Petr Cech.
Of the games kicking off at 3pm, much of the focus will be on Manchester City’s trip to Blackburn Rovers. Can their raft of summer signings live up to expectations? They can be sure of a hard encounter at Ewood Park, with Blackburn midfielder David Dunn saying that his team will be looking to “kick lumps” out of Adebayor, Tevez and co.
The early evening kick off sees Arsenal travel to Goodison Park to take on Everton, in what will be a stern early test of Wenger’s claim that his Arsenal side are ready to win the title. Whilst David Moyes has barely added to his squad over the summer, they still have enough to test Arsenal and it is not the fixture Wenger would have wanted on the opening day.
Alex McLeish would also hardly have been buoyed when the fixture list came out, as his Birmingham City side face a daunting trip to Old Trafford to take on the Premier League champions in the first of Sunday’s games. Many will be looking to see how Manchester United will adapt to life without Cristiano Ronaldo, although it should be a relatively straightforward three points for Sir Alex Ferguson’s men.
Less straightforward will be Liverpool’s trip to White Hart Lane in what looks to be the pick of the opening weekend’s fixtures. Spurs appear to be in good shape and Harry Redknapp knows that his side can not afford a sluggish start to the season, something which diminished their prospects last season. Steven Gerrard appears to be an injury worry for Liverpool, although his participation will be crucial if Rafa Benitez wants to take all three points back to Merseyside.
The weekend also marks the start of the Fantasy League game, with managers up and down the country making their final changes before kick off. Barry Glendenning’s article in The Guardian will have struck a chord with the legions of obsessive players. There is also still a chance to enter The Football Blog league and stand a chance of winning a replica shirt of your choice, click here for the details.
As ever, let us know your thoughts on the weekend ahead and enjoy the games!
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