Weekend tips: Premier League back with a bang for opening weekend | OneFootball

At long last Premier League football returns this weekend with a bumper slate of action to savour.

Top two open up in the capital

Both champions Manchester City and closest challengers Liverpool begin their title assaults away from home on opening weekend.

The defenders of their crown have the tougher test on paper, travelling to West Ham on Sunday evening, although their recent record against the Hammers may suggest otherwise.

City are unbeaten in their last 13 league meetings against West Ham (winning 10 of those) and only against Fulham do they have a better recent run of all of the top flight sides for the season.

Opening day jitters aren’t something that have impacted them in this fixture either, this is the fourth time they’ve met for the first game of the season and City have won all of the previous three, scoring 11 and conceding none.

Liverpool are also in London to start things off and will be hoping the pressure is already on City to play catch-up from their trip to Fulham the previous day.

The Reds haven’t lost in the league in 2022 and have also won their first game in each of the past four seasons, while Fulham have also been beaten on each of their five previous first fixtures after gaining promotion, dating all the way back to 1949.

A double on both sides to start with three points can be had at 1.7, while each to come out on top individually and have their star new strikers to score is available at 2.25 for Liverpool and Darwin Núñez and Liverpool or 1.83 for City and Erling Haaland.

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New Manchester United era begins

It seems hard to believe but United were the only Premier League side to change managers over the summer.

As a result, there may be even more focus than before on Erik ten Hag and how he will fare in the dugout – beginning with his bow against Brighton at home on Sunday.

The Cristiano Ronaldo saga has threatened to, and still does, impact their preparations but United have been impressive early under the new man.

They thrashed Liverpool 4-0 in pre-season and looked a big attacking threat in wins over Melbourne Victory and Crystal Palace, although they have failed to win each of their last three.

It is unlikely the new man in charge will place too much stock in early results but will know the value of starting with a win in a fixture that has been kind.

Brighton have never won at Old Trafford on any of their 14 visits, while the Red Devils have won on opening day in 10 of the last 13 years.

The home side are a generous 1.62 for the win, while pre-season themes to continue and over 2.5 goals to come in is priced at 1.91.

Fallen giants return to the top table

Two-time European Cup winners Nottingham Forest feature on a Premier League weekend for the first time in over 20 years when they travel to Newcastle this weekend.

It promises to be a pulsating affair as the optimism of their promotion meets with the new-found feelgood factor that remains very much high on Tyneside.

Forest have never beaten Newcastle in the Premier League though (losing five and drawing three) and have lost on each of their last six visits to St James’ Park since a 1-0 win in October 1988.

But Steve Cooper’s side do have the best opening day win ratio of teams to compete in more than one Premier League season, emerging victorious in four of their five fixtures.

If you also cannot split the sides for this one, a point apiece can be found at 4.00.

Callum Wilson has netted in the first game of the season in three of the last four years (including both seasons at Newcastle) and is 2.1 to continue that run and net anytime again.