Premier League match previews: Team news, key stats, expected line-ups
Liverpool vs Norwich, Manchester United vs Chelsea among live games on Sky Sports on opening weekend
Saturday 10 August 2019 08:28, UK
Liverpool vs Norwich - Friday, 8pm kick-off, live on Sky Sports Premier League
Sadio Mane is fit and available for Liverpool, though Jurgen Klopp must decide whether or not to start the Senegal forward after his busy summer. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is back in Klopp's ranks after long-term injury.
Norwich boss Daniel Farke will be without experienced centre-back Timm Klose (hip), while fellow defender Christoph Zimmermann has been ruled out with a knee problem. Midfield pair Alex Tettey and Louis Thompson are also expected to be absent.
Stat of the match: Liverpool are currently enjoying a 40-game unbeaten home run in the Premier League (W30 D10) since losing against Crystal Palace in April 2017. Against promoted sides they're unbeaten in 25 games at Anfield (W20 D5), with Jurgen Klopp winning all 10 such games.
How to watch: Liverpool vs Norwich is live on Friday Night Football from 7pm; kick-off is at 8pm. Sky Sports customers can watch in-game clips in the live match blog on the Sky Sports website and app. Highlights will be published on the Sky Sports digital platforms and the Sky Sports Football YouTube channel approximately 15 minutes after the final whistle.
Possible line-ups:
Liverpool (4-3-3): Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, Van Dijk, Robertson; Henderson, Wijnaldum, Keita; Salah, Origi, Firmino
Norwich (4-2-3-1): Krul; Aarons, Klose, Godfrey, Lewis; McLean, Trybull; Buendia, Stiepermann, Hernandez; Pukki
Fantasy Football Top Tip: It is hard to see past a win and a clean sheet for Klopp's men, which means Andrew Robertson (£10.2m) or Trent-Alexander Arnold (£9.9m) are good options, offering passing bonus points and the chance of assists alongside clean sheets.
Charlie Nicholas' prediction: Liverpool 5-0 Norwich - 14/1 with Sky Bet
Live FNF
West Ham vs Manchester City - Saturday, 12.30pm kick-off
West Ham will have Lukasz Fabianski available for selection after he returned to training earlier this week. Manuel Pellegrini's only injury absentee is Mark Noble. Sebastien Haller and Pablo Fornals could be in line for Hammers debuts.
Man City will be without winger Leroy Sane, who has suffered cruciate ligament damage and could be sidelined until February. Riyad Mahrez and Aymeric Laporte are fit but the games comes too soon for new arrival Joao Cancelo. Pep Guardiola has confirmed David Silva will be captain.
Stat of the match: The reigning Premier League champions have only lost their opening match of the next league season on two previous occasions: Leicester in 2016-17 (1-2 away at Hull) and Chelsea in 2017-18 (2-3 at home to Burnley).
How to watch: Follow the action with our dedicated live blog. Highlights of the game will be published at 5.15pm on the Sky Sports website and app plus the Sky Sports Football YouTube channel.
Possible line-ups:
West Ham (4-2-3-1): Fabianski; Fredericks, Balbuena, Diop, Cresswell; Rice, Wilshere; Anderson, Fornals, Lanzini; Haller
Manchester City (4-1-4-1): Ederson; Walker, Stones, Laporte, Zinchenko; Rodri; B Silva, De Bruyne, D Silva, Sterling; Aguero
Fantasy Football Top Tip: Kevin De Bruyne is sure to shine again if he stays injury-free. Look out for long-range strikes and assists from the Belgian, who is available for £11.2m.
Charlie Nicholas' prediction: West Ham 0-3 Manchester City - 13/2 with Sky Bet
Bournemouth vs Sheffield United - Saturday, 3pm kick-off
Bournemouth have a lengthy injury list ahead of their Premier League opener. Summer signing Lloyd Kelly, who took a knock in training, joins former Blade David Brooks (ankle) and Dan Gosling (hip) on the treatment table, with long-term absentees Simon Francis, Lewis Cook and Junior Stanislas (all knee) not expected to be involved. Boss Eddie Howe could hand debuts to defender Jack Stacey, midfielder Philip Billing and wingers Harry Wilson and Arnaut Danjuma.
Chris Wilder has a fully-fit squad to pick from on Sheffield United's return to the top flight. Wilder has decisions to make in attack with new arrivals Callum Robinson and Oli McBurnie vying with last season's duo, Billy Sharp and David McGoldrick.
Stat of the match: Sheffield United have won each of their last eight competitive meetings with Bournemouth. They've also won each of their last five away games against the Cherries in all competitions.
How to watch: Follow the action with our dedicated live blog. Highlights of the game will be published at 5.15pm on the Sky Sports website and app plus the Sky Sports Football YouTube channel.
Possible line-ups:
Bournemouth (4-2-3-1): Travers; Smith, Mepham, Ake, Rico; Billing, Lerma; H Wilson, King, Fraser; C Wilson
Sheff Utd (3-4-1-2): Henderson; Basham, Egan, O'Connell; Baldock, Norwood, Fleck, Stevens; Freeman; Robinson, McBurnie
Fantasy Football Top Tip: Sheffield United prize overloads on the wings; Enda Stevens finished last season in fine form and could well cause problems down the left - a shrewd buy for £7.4m?
Charlie Nicholas' prediction: Bournemouth 2-1 Sheffield United - 8/1 with Sky Bet
Burnley vs Southampton - Saturday, 3pm kick-off
New signings Jay Rodriguez and full-back Erik Pieters are in contention for Burnley but loan arrival Danny Drinkwater appears unlikely to feature given he has not played competitive football for a year. Defenders James Tarkowski and Kevin Long, who missed the final pre-season friendly against Parma, are fit but winger Robbie Brady (rib) and midfielder Steven Defour (calf) miss out.
Che Adams and Moussa Djenepo are in line to make their competitive Southampton debuts, with Adams a likely starter alongside Danny Ings.
Stat of the match: The last five Premier League meetings between Burnley and Southampton have produced just six goals (four for Burnley, two for Southampton).
How to watch: Follow the action with our dedicated live blog. Highlights of the game will be published at 5.15pm on the Sky Sports website and app plus the Sky Sports Football YouTube channel.
Possible line-ups:
Burnley (4-4-2): Pope; Lowton, Tarkowski, Mee, Taylor; Hendrick, Westwood, Cork, McNeil; Wood, Barnes
Southampton (3-4-3): Gunn; Yoshida, Bednarek, Vestergaard; Valery, Ward-Prowse, Hojbjerg, Bertrand; Adams, Ings, Redmond
Fantasy Football Top Tip: Nathan Redmond (£8.2m), fresh off the back of a new four-year contract, is classed as a midfielder on Sky Sports Fantasy Football but is likely to play as a front three, meaning his goal tally could ramp up this campaign, with midfielders receiving seven points per goal as opposed to the five of strikers. Play here.
Charlie Nicholas' prediction: Burnley 0-1 Southampton - 7/1 with Sky Bet
Crystal Palace vs Everton - Saturday, 3pm
Crystal Palace boss Roy Hodgson has confirmed Wilfried Zaha remains in contention to start, despite his disappointment at failing to secure a summer transfer. Cheikhou Kouyate and Jordan Ayew are available after their AFCON duties but James Tomkins, Mamadou Sakho and Jeffrey Schlupp are still not fit.
Fabian Delph will miss the trip to Selhurst Park with a thigh injury, while Leighton Baines is also a doubt for Everton. New signings Moise Kean and Jean-Philippe Gbamin could be involved, but Alex Iwobi was not registered in time.
Opta stat: Crystal Palace have never won on the five previous occasions they've kicked off a Premier League campaign at home, drawing one and losing the last four in a row.
How to watch: Follow the action with our dedicated live blog. Highlights of the game will be published at 5.15pm on the Sky Sports website and app plus the Sky Sports Football YouTube channel.
Possible line-ups:
Crystal Palace (4-3-3): Guaita; Ward, Sakho, Dann, Van Aanholt; Milivojevic, McArthur, Meyer; Townsend, Benteke, Ayew
Everton (4-2-3-1): Pickford; Coleman, Keane, Mina, Digne; A.Gomes, Davies; Bernard, Sigurdsson, Richarlison; Kean
Fantasy Football Top Tip: Moise Kean (£10.2m) arrives from Juventus with a hefty amount of expectation, and he may get off to the flying start that he needs at Selhurst Park. He is also a long-term option as Everton face none of the top six in their first six fixtures of the campaign, with two of those involving newly-promoted teams. Play here.
Charlie Nicholas' prediction: Crystal Palace 2-1 Everton - 10/1 with Sky Bet
Watford vs Brighton - Saturday, 3pm kick-off
Gerard Deulofeu has shaken off a muscle problem and is available for Watford, while Roberto Pereyra is building up his fitness and could be involved from the bench. Nathaniel Chalobah, Adalberto Penaranda, Domingos Quina and Dimitri Foulquier are sidelined, while fans will have to wait to see new signings Danny Welbeck and Ismaila Sarr.
Brighton will be without defender Ezequiel Schelotto and winger Jose Izquierdo (both knee) in Hertfordshire, as well as midfielder Yves Bissouma (shoulder). Graham Potter has options up front but may start Neal Maupay on the bench.
Stat of the match: Brighton have failed to score in five of their last seven competitive matches against Watford; including in both matches last season.
How to watch: Follow the action with our dedicated live blog. Highlights of the game will be published at 5.15pm on the Sky Sports website and app plus the Sky Sports Football YouTube channel.
Possible line-ups:
Watford (4-2-2-2): Foster; Femenia, Dawson, Cathcart, Holebas; Doucoure, Capoue; Hughes, Pereyra; Deulofeu, Deeney
Brighton (3-4-3): Ryan; Burn, Duffy, Dunk; March, Propper, Stephens, Montoya; Trossard, Murray, Locadia
Fantasy Football Top Tip: With Martin Montoya (£7.3m) set to play as a wing-back on Saturday, Fantasy Football points could be earned in abundance with the right balance of attack and defence. There is a chance of an assist and a clean sheet at Vicarage Road, as Graham Potter takes charge of his first Premier League game. Play here.
Charlie Nicholas' prediction: Watford 2-0 Brighton - 15/2 with Sky Bet
Tottenham vs Aston Villa - Saturday, 5.30pm kick-off, live on Sky Sports Premier League
Tottenham will be without Dele Alli as he nurses a hamstring injury. New signing Ryan Sessegnon also has a hamstring injury and will not play but fellow new recruits Tanguy N'Dombele and Giovani Lo Celso could make their debuts. Ben Davies (groin) misses out while Son Heung-Min and Juan Foyth are serving suspensions carried over from last season.
Aston Villa could hand Tom Heaton, Matt Targett, Jota, Trezeguet and Ezri Konsa their debuts. James Chester is the only absentee for boss Dean Smith as he is out with a hamstring injury.
Stat of the match: This is the sixth time Tottenham are playing their opening game of a Premier League season against a promoted side. They've won four of the previous five, with their only defeat coming in 2007-08 against Sunderland.
How to watch: Tottenham vs Aston Villa is live on Saturday Night Football from 5pm; kick-off is at 5.30pm. Sky Sports customers can watch in-game clips in the live match blog on the Sky Sports website and app. Highlights will also be published on the Sky Sports digital platforms and the Sky Sports Football YouTube channel shortly after the final whistle.
Possible line-ups:
Tottenham (4-2-3-1): Lloris; Walker-Peters, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Rose; Ndombele, Sissoko; Lamela, Eriksen, Lucas; Kane
Aston Villa (4-3-3): Heaton; Guilbert, Mings, Engels, Targett; Hourihane, McGinn, Grealish; Jota, El Ghazi, Wesley
Live Premier League
Fantasy Football Top Tip: Tom Heaton (£6.7m) is now a Villa player and this was considered a great piece of business in the transfer window. He will be straight in the firing line as he attempts to keep a clean sheet for Dean Smith's side, but could achieve tier one or tier two bonus points depending on how the game unfolds. Play here.
Charlie Nicholas' prediction: Tottenham 3-1 Aston Villa - 10/1 with Sky Bet
Leicester vs Wolves - Sunday, 2pm kick-off
Leicester's Deadline Day signing, Dennis Praet, is unlikely to feature as he builds fitness while Filip Benkovic
continues to recover from an ankle problem. Brendan Rodgers may turn to Wes Morgan to partner Jonny Evans in defence following Harry Maguire's departure but Caglar Soyuncu has enjoyed plenty of pre-season minutes.
Nuno Espirito Santo should restore Ruben Neves to the Wolves starting line-up after his late cameo in the Europa League play-offs. Adama Traore missed the game against Pyunik after a passport problem but will be involved at the King Power.
Stat of the match: Wolves are one of just three teams Brendan Rodgers has faced but failed to beat in the Premier League (also Chelsea and Watford).
How to watch: Follow the action with our dedicated live blog. Highlights of the game will be published at 5.15pm on the Sky Sports website and app plus the Sky Sports Football YouTube channel.
Possible line-ups:
Leicester (4-2-3-1): Schmeichel; Pereira, Evans, Soyuncu, Chilwell; Choudhury, Tielemans; Maddison, Perez, Albrighton; Vardy
Wolves (3-5-2): Patricio; Boly, Coady, Bennett; Doherty, Neves, Dendoncker, Moutinho, Jonny; Jimenez, Jota
Fantasy Football Top Tip: Fantasy players have been focusing on Jamie Vardy (£10.7m) and James Maddison (£8.3m), yet Ayoze Perez (£9.2m) has gone under the radar and should receive ample service. Perez comes in at £1.5m cheaper than Vardy, which could allow for reinvestment in other areas. Play here.
Charlie Nicholas' prediction: Leicester 1-1 Wolves - 5/1 with Sky Bet
Newcastle vs Arsenal - Sunday, 2pm kick-off, live on Sky Sports Premier League
Returning Andy Carroll is unlikely to be involved for two to three weeks, although Newcastle boss Steve Bruce could unleash record signing Joelinton and winger Allan Saint-Maximin against the Gunners. Matt Ritchie should be fit after a hamstring problem but DeAndre Yedlin (groin) and Florian Lejeune (knee) remain out.
Arsenal have several injury and fitness concerns. New signing Kieran Tierney (groin) will not make his bow, while Hector Bellerin and Rob Holding (both knee) and Mohamed Elneny (fitness) are all likely to miss out. Unai Emery will check on the fitness of new recruits Dani Ceballos, David Luiz and Nicolas Pepe, as well as striker Alexandre Lacazette, who has had a recent ankle injury.
Arsenal have announced that Mesut Ozil and Sead Kolasinac will not be part of the squad because of "further security incidents" which are being investigated by police.
Stat of the match: Arsenal have won 12 of their last 13 competitive fixtures against Newcastle, losing only once in this run: 1-2 at St James' Park in April 2018.
How to watch: Newcastle vs Arsenal is live on Super Sunday from 1pm; kick-off is at 2pm. Sky Sports customers can watch in-game clips in the live match blog on the Sky Sports website and app. Highlights will also be published on the Sky Sports digital platforms and the Sky Sports Football YouTube channel shortly after the final whistle.
Possible line-ups:
Newcastle (3-5-2): Dubravka; Schar, Lascelles, Dummett; Manquillo, Willems, Shelvey, Longstaff, Hayden; Almiron, Joelinton
Arsenal (4-3-3): Leno; Maitland-Niles, Luiz, Sokratis, Monreal; Xhaka, Ceballos, Mkhitaryan; Pepe, Aubameyang, Lacazette
Fantasy Football Top Tip: Joelinton (£8.2m) has the chance to announce himself to the St James' Park faithful on Sunday, having the chance to exploit a newly-formed Arsenal back four. He has already notched in pre-season since joining from Hoffenheim and could be a shrewd choice for this fixture. Play here.
Charlie Nicholas' prediction: Newcastle 1-3 Arsenal - 12/1 with Sky Bet
Live Renault Super Sunday
Manchester United vs Chelsea - Sunday, 4.30pm kick-off, live on Sky Sports Premier League
Paul Pogba is fit to start after missing Man Utd's final pre-season friendly against AC Milan due to a back spasm. Eric Bailly faces a lengthy spell out with a knee injury, while Alexis Sanchez - a player Solskjaer expects to stay at the club this month - may not be utilised after returning late from the Copa America where he injured his hamstring.
Frank Lampard faces decisions over the fitness of several players as he prepares for his Premier League bow in the Chelsea dug-out. N'Golo Kante and Antonio Rudiger will be monitored but Lampard has admitted the game could come too soon for Willian, who only won the Copa America with Brazil last month.
Stat of the match: Manchester United have won just two of their last 13 Premier League meetings with Chelsea (W2 D6 L5) but are unbeaten in six home games against them in the competition (W2 D4 L0).
How to watch: Manchester United vs Arsenal is live on Super Sunday from 1pm; kick-off is at 4.30pm. Sky Sports customers can watch in-game clips in the live match blog on the Sky Sports website and app. Highlights will also be published on the Sky Sports digital platforms and the Sky Sports Football YouTube channel shortly after the final whistle.
Possible line-ups:
Manchester United (4-2-3-1): De Gea; Wan-Bissaka, Lindelof, Maguire, Shaw; Pogba, McTominay; James, Lingard, Martial; Rashford
Chelsea (4-3-3): Arrizabalaga; Azpilicueta, Zouma, Christensen, Emerson; Kovacic, Jorginho, Barkley; Pedro, Pulisic, Abraham
Live Renault Super Sunday
Fantasy Football Top Tip: Pedro has the experience of playing in these high-intensity Premier League fixtures so - although this may be unpopular - the Spaniard (£9.4m) could pay dividends against a potentially nervy United back four. Play here.
Charlie Nicholas' prediction: Manchester United 1-0 Chelsea - 13/2 with Sky Bet
