After a summer full of rumours about players moving to other teams, the Premier League is finally back tonight with a bang.
This evening’s first game is between newly promoted Burnley and Manchester City, where Vincent Kompany wants to surprise his old team.
Arsenal, who won the Community Shield, will hope to start their season with a home win over Nottingham Forest, but it’s harder to tell what will happen in Sunday’s big game between Chelsea and Liverpool.
Dimitar Berbatov, who is an ambassador for Betfair, For metro.co.uk he talks about all the action.
Burnley against Man City
What if Burnley beats Manchester City and surprises everyone? I remember when I played for Manchester United and we went to Turf Moor and lost 1-0. I thought, “What the hell?” because the room was so small. But Manchester City will want to get back on track after losing to Arsenal in the Community Shield. I think the winners of the Premier League will get back on track and beat Burnley to start the season. Expectations: 0–2.
Nottingham Forest vs. Arsenal
After beating Manchester City in the Community Shield, Arsenal will feel good about itself. I don’t see how Forest can hurt Arsenal, and I think Mikel Arteta’s team will want to start strong. I think that Arsenal will win against Nottingham Forest. It will be 3-1.
Crystal Palace vs. Sheffield United
That will be a fun game to watch. I think Sheffield United will beat Crystal Palace because they are excited to be back in the Premier League. Even though Wilfried Zaha is no longer with Crystal Palace, they can still beat them. It will be 2-1.
West Ham vs. Bournemouth
I could see this ending in a tie. West Ham had a great season and won the Europa League, which was a big deal, but they lost their best player, Declan Rice. Even though they haven’t bought enough stars yet, I still think they’ll get better. It will be a tie.
Luton Town vs. Brighton
I love going to watch Brighton play football. They were great last season, and I think they’ll be just as good this season. They pass the ball well and keep the game in their hands. I think that they will have a good start to the season and beat Luton. It will be 3-0.
Everton playing Fulham
Everton needs to get off to a better start. They are a big club, so they shouldn’t have to worry about going down. I didn’t like how Everton was fighting to stay out of last place in the league. It seemed like they stopped being mean last season. When I played, if someone told me Everton was up next, I’d say, “Oh my god, not Everton, the bullying, elbows, and hitting!” They don’t make me feel that way anymore. The crowd needs to get loud again because when the fans are loud at Goodison Park, it sounds like they are right on top of you. They need to make the other side afraid again. This won’t be an easy way to start, and I think it could end in a tie. It will be a tie.
Aston Villa takes on Newcastle.
The fans of Newcastle are very loyal and will always cheer for the team. St. James’ Park was always a fun place to go, but it was also scary because everyone there yells at you. They had a great season last year, so they need to keep going in the same direction and keep getting better. This season looks good for Aston Villa, but I think Newcastle will win this one. It will be 1-0.
Tottenham takes on Brentford.
I always have high hopes for Tottenham when the new season starts. It’s best to stay out of Spurs’ way and not give them too much attention. Going to Brentford is hard, and I think Spurs will get a draw there. It will be 2-2.
Liverpool takes on Chelsea
I have high hopes for Chelsea. I want them to do better this season and compete for the championship. Liverpool knows they need to do better than last season, but I think Chelsea will be a surprise. It will be 2-1.
Wolves vs. Manchester United
Manchester United needs to win against Wolves because I think they will fight for the title. It’s about time. Wolves have had a lot going on off the pitch this week, and they’ll want to put it all behind them with a win to get off to a good start. I don’t think that will happen at Old Trafford, though. I think United will win this. It will be 2-0.
