21/22 Premier League Preview Week 1
The 2021/22 Premier League season kicks off this weekend with several enticing fixtures. Title favourites Man City begin their title defence against new-look Tottenham. Nuno Espirito Santo was named Spurs boss over the summer and will be looking to kick start his campaign. One of the biggest fixtures sees Man United host Leeds. The two sides played out an eight-goal thriller at Old Trafford last season and fans will be hoping for a repeat on Saturday.
Newcomers Brentford host 2020/21 underperformers Arsenal on Friday evening. Norwich takes on Liverpool at Carrow Road and Watford welcome Aston Villa to Vicarage Road. All teams will be looking to get maximum points on the board as the new season takes shape.
All odds are from bet365 and subject to change.
Bet £10 Get £30 In Free Bets
18+ New Players only. For free bet wagering requirements and minimum odds read T&C’s. www.begambleaware.org
Brentford vs Arsenal
Premier League new boys Brentford had an impressive pre-season. The Bees won four of their six pre-season friendlies and defeated Valencia 2-1 at home in their final preparation match. Thomas Frank’s side ended their 2020/21 promotion campaign in fine form, losing just one of their last 15 in the second tier. Brentford were tough to beat at home last season, losing just three times in 31 matches at the Brentford Community Stadium.
Arsenal ended their 2020/21 season in good form, winning all four of their final Premier League matches. But a poor pre-season has cast doubt over Mikel Arteta’s side. They failed to win all four of their friendlies, which included losses to Hibernian (2-1), Chelsea (2-1) and Tottenham (1-0). The Gunners impressed away in the closing stages of last season, losing just one of their final 11 on the road.
Brentford will be without Joshua Dasilva (groin) but Ivan Toney should be in contention after picking up a recent knock. Thomas Partey (ankle), Edward Nketiah (ankle) and Gabriel Magalhaes (knee) are ruled out for Arsenal. Rob Holding is unlikely to feature due to a lack of match fitness.
Brentford could hold Arsenal to a shock draw at the Brentford Community Stadium. Arsenal concede a lot of goals and the Bees have a prolific attack. There could be good value on a draw.
Man United vs Leeds
Man United ended their pre-season preparations with a dominant 4-0 win against Premier League rivals Everton on Saturday. The Red Devils looked in top form following their second-place finish and Europa League final appearances in the 2020/21 season. Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s side were inconsistent last season and ended their Premier League campaign with just one win in their last four. But United have recorded some big wins against Leeds in recent meetings, including a 6-2 win and a 4-0 win in Leeds’ last two visits to Old Trafford.
Leeds come into their second consecutive Premier League campaign in poor form. Marcelo Bielsa’s side lost three and drew two of their six friendlies. Their only win was a 3-2 victory against non-league Guiseley. Nine first-team players have also departed Elland Road this summer. Regulars Ezgjan Aliosk, Kiko Casilla and Pablo Hernández were among the departures. Bielsa will be hoping to reclaim late-season form that saw Leeds win their final four games and finish 9th.
Jesse Lingard (coronavirus), Alex Telles (ankle) and Marcus Rashford are ruled out for United. Dean Henderson (knee), Phil Jones (knock) and new signings Jadon Sancho (fitness) and Raphael Varane (isolating) are also doubtful. Leeds’ Diego Llorente is unlikely to feature due to a knee injury. Jamie Shackleton and Junior Firpo could be in contention.
United looked in great shape against Everton and Solskjær will want to throw down the gauntlet in the Premier League title race. The Red Devils should record another comfortable victory against Leeds at Old Trafford.
Newcastle vs West Ham
Newcastle will be hoping for a more settled 2021/22 season after a rollercoaster 2020/21 season. The Magpies were facing relegation at the turn of the year after a nine-match winless run. Steve Bruce’s side were more assured in the final stages of the season and lost three of their last 13 matches in the Premier League. Newcastle struggled at St James’ Park in 2020/21 and won just six of their 18 league matches at home in the entire campaign.
West Ham came agonisingly close to a top-four finish last season. David Moyes side were the second most in-form team in the Premier League at the turn of the year. However, some patchy end of season form saw the Hammers miss out on Champions League football. Moyes has kept a solid squad together that has won seven of their last 10 (including pre-season friendlies). The Hammers have struggled at Newcastle in recent years, losing five of their last six in Tyneside.
Newcastle will be without Martin Dubravka (ankle), Karl Darlow (knock), Elliott Anderson (groin) and Paul Dummett (calf). West Ham defenders Angelo Ogbonna (thigh) and Arthur Masuaku (knee) are unlikely to be fit in time. Manuel Lanzini is expected to return to the squad after a recent knock.
Newcastle have a few key players out, while West Ham look full of confidence after a strong pre-season. A draw could be likely, given the Hammers poor recent form at Newcastle.
Tottenham vs Man City
Tottenham went from title contenders early last season to a seventh-place finish. Their up and down season was marred by poor form and Nuno Espirito Santo has come into steady the ship. Spurs won just four of their last 12 fixtures at the end of last season, including a 3-0 Europa League loss to Dinamo Zagreb and a League Cup final loss to Man City. Espirito Santo has overseen a decent pre-season. Spurs were unbeaten in their five friendlies and recorded a 1-0 win against Arsenal and a 2-2 draw with Chelsea.
Man City were the team to beat for much of the 2020/21 season. The Premier League champions impressed for most of the season and added won the EFL Cup. But City ended the season in patchy form. Guardiola’s side lost three of their last five in all competitions, including a 1-0 Champions Final loss to Chelsea and a 3-2 defeat to Brighton in the Premier League. The Citizens won all three of their pre-season friendlies before a late 1-0 loss to Leicester in the Community Shield on Saturday.
Spurs full-back Ryan Sessegnon is unavailable with a thigh injury. Cristian Romero (knee) and Harry Kane (fitness) should feature but Tanguy Ndombele is unlikely to make the squad due to a lack of match fitness. Phil Foden (ankle) and Kevin de Bruyne (ankle) are ruled out for City.
Spurs look settled under Espirito Santo. The North London side have also beaten City in their last three matches at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. There could be good value on a draw between the sides on Sunday.
Relevant news
21-22 Premier League Preview Week 38
The stage is set for an enthralling finale to the 2021/22 Premier League season. Lead…
21-22 Premier League Preview Week 37
Man City are on course to secure another Premier League title this season. The Citizens…
21-22 Premier League Preview Week 35
The 2021/22 Premier League season is coming to a head. With just five matches left,…
21-22 Premier League Preview Week 33
Fresh off the back of a breath-taking weekend of Premier League action last weekend, more…
2022 FA Cup Quarter Finals
The 2021/22 FA Cup has reached the quarter-finals with just eight teams left fighting for…
21-22 Premier League Preview Week 29
The Premier League fixtures have been coming thick and fast recently. There was a full…