The 2022/23 Premier League season will kick off on Saturday with Crystal Palace hosting Arsenal at Selhurst Park.
The match will start at 12:30 AM IST on August 6.
Mikel Arteta’s men will be looking for a quick start off the block after a positive pre-season, where they scored goals for fun. Arsenal fans will have a familiar face in the opposite dugout as the Palace side is managed by their club legend, Patrick Vieira.
Palace had won the same fixture last season by a comfortable score of 3-0.
Top-6 opening fixtures
Major Signings
Manchester City’s acquisition of Erling Haaland has been one of European football’s most talked about transfers this summer. The Norwegian forward will provide Pep Guardiola with an added edge in attack as the Spaniard looks to defend the title.
The Manchester-based side has also signed Argentinian forward Julian Alvarez and English midfielder Kalvin Philips to strengthen its squad.
Liverpool too has a new young forward in their ranks in the form of Darwin Nunez. Jurgen Klopp would be hoping that the Uruguayan will help to fill in for Sadio Mane, who joined Bayern Munich in the summer. The Reds has also landed two young talents - right back Calvin Ramsay and midfielder Fabio Carvalho.
Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal’s front line will have a new leader after it lured Gabriel Jesus from Manchester City. The Brazilian forward brings with him the experience of having played under Guardiola for five years. In addition to Jesus, Arteta also brought in another City player in the form of Ukranian wingback/midfielder Oleksandr Zinchenko.
Chelsea too will have a former Machester City attacker in its lineup for the new season after Raheem Sterling’s arrival to the London club. The winger has been one of the most consistent performers in the league over the last decade with 109 goals scored in 320 appearances. The London-based club has also reinforced its defense after signing Kalidou Koulibaly from Napoli.
Richarlison ended his stint at Everton as he joined Tottenham Hotspur over the summer. The Brazilian forward is joined by Croatian winger Ivan Perisic and Ivory Coast midfield enforcer, Yves Bissouma. The latter, who joined Antonio Conte’s side from Brighton Hove & Albion, will provide the Italian’s midfield with some added tenacity.
Manchester United has had a quiet summer in comparison to its rivals. It procured two talented young defenders from the Netherlands - Lisandro Martinez and Tyrell Malacia. Christian Eriksen’s arrival from Brentford was another highlight as new manager Erik ten Hag looks to rebuild the Red Devils.
Major Departures from Premier League
Promoted Teams
AFC Bournemouth, Fulham and Nottingham Forest are the newly promoted sides in Premier League this season. They replace Burnley, Watford and West Brom, who were relegated to the EFL Championship last season.
AFC Bournemouth - Bournemouth, led by its enigmatic manager Eddie Howe, broke into Premier League in 2015 and was a strong presence until it faced relegation in 2020. ‘The Cherries’ are now back in the top-tier after struggling for a while under financial issues. The Scott Parker-managed side secured automatic promotion by finishing second in the Championship last season.
Fulham - Fulham made their almost-routine-like bounce back into the Premier League after topping the Championship last season. This is the third time in the past six years Fulham secured promotion right after being relegated to the second tier. The Cottagers, managed by Marco Silva, would be looking to break the trend and have a prolonged stay at the top this time.
Nottingham Forest - A two-time European winner, Nottingham Forest has a legacy that trumps most Premier League sides. The Foresters ensured its return to the English top-tier after a 23-year hiatus after a nervy run through the Championship playoffs under the guidance of Steve Cooper.
New Managerial Face
As of now, Erik ten Hag will be the only new managerial face among Premier League sides as the new season rings in. The Dutch manager, roped in from Ajax, has a mammoth task in his hands as the fifth permanent manager of Manchester United after Alex Ferguson’s retirement.
Though a winner of two league titles and KNVB cups from his time in the Netherlands, ten Hag’s greatest feat as the Ajax manager was taking a young and exciting side to the Champions League semi-finals in 2018. His Ajax side, which included current United midfielder Donny van de Beek, upset European giants like Real Madrid and Juventus on its way to the last four.
An attacking-minded manager who prefers to dominate possession, ten Hag’s influence has been evident in Manchester United’s pre-season games. The Red Devils has shown marked improvement in possession retention and pressing. The club’s supporters will be hoping that these changes will translate into an improved position in the league after last season’s lowly sixth-place finish.
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