
25/1 fivefold on Burnley vs Manchester City and other Premier League specials
25/1 fivefold on Burnley vs Manchester City and other Premier League specials
Burnley vs Manchester City
Fri 11 Aug, 20:00
This is a bit of a fairytale start for Vincent Kompany, beginning his Premier League managerial career against the team that he won so many titles with. And I think it'll be a tough away game for Manchester City.
The atmosphere at Turf Moor will be brilliant and it will be interesting to see the way Burnley play this year. Will it be the same free flowing style that served them so well in the Championship or will they have to change their tactics a bit more when things get difficult?
I do think City will win this match but I don't think it will be a walk in the park. Even the champions will take a few games to get into their rhythm, so it's not the worst time for Burnley to be playing them. But that said, I fancy City to just edge it 2-1.
Newcastle United vs Aston Villa
Sat 12 Aug, 17:30
These are two of my former teams going head to head on Saturday and I think they are really well matched. I think they'll be well matched over the course of the season and where they'll finish in the league.
The job Unai Emery has done since he's come in at Villa has been phenomenal and you can say the same about Eddie Howe at Newcastle. They've added well with Sandro Tonali and Harvey Barnes and as it stands now, I just think Newcastle will come out on top in this match.
I don't think there will be loads of goals so I'm going with 1-0 Newcastle.
Brentford vs Tottenham Hotspur
Sun 13 Aug, 14:00
I love Ange Postecoglu and I think he's a brilliant manager. The job he did at Celtic was superb and I think if Spurs fans and board give him time, he'll turn out to be a really good fit.
But there are obviously big question marks about whether Harry Kane will still be at Spurs come Sunday and if he does leave, which at the time of writing it looks like he will, those are massive boots to fill.
Brentford under Thomas Frank always seem to get off to a good start to the season. I remember Arsenal went there a couple of years ago and got beat and Manchester United as well early last season. So I fancy Brentford to put in another strong performance and I'm backing them to win on Sunday, 2-0.
Chelsea vs Liverpool
Sun 13 Aug, 16:30
This is a tough one to call, because I really fancy Liverpool to bounce back as a club after their disappointing season last time out.
I think they need to sign a strong holding midfielder to replace Fabinho and a few of the other outgoings they've had, so I would expect them to be active in the transfer market before the window closes.
Then with Chelsea, they look like they've got a young, hungry squad that's full of pace and a point to prove after last season too.
I'm going to go for a score draw in this one, with a 2-2. Both teams are definitely capable of winning it on the day but I can see them each going away with a point.
Man United vs Wolves
Mon 14 Aug, 20:00
It's been a mad couple of weeks for Wolves and all the talk about Lopetegui leaving and not getting the transfers in that he wanted. If you look at them last season it was a struggle for them and they've lost Neves in the summer so the bigger picture doesn't look too bright for Wolves.
I don't see where the goals are going to come from for Wolves. A couple of seasons ago Kevin De Bruyne was the top scoring player at Molineux that year!
I think Man United couldn't really ask for an easier start to the season, especially with the new Wolves manager Gary O'Neill only having a handful of training sessions with the squad before this game.
United have recruited really well with Onana in goal and Mason Mount and I can see them winning this with room to spare. I'll go with 3-0 United.
SHAY'S SEASON PREDICTIONS:
Title winner: Manchester City
Top four: Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Newcastle
Bottom three: Wolves, Sheffield United, Luton