Premier League fixtures: Five early-season clashes to savour
WAR OF THE ROSES: Mason Greenwood of Manchester United jostles for position at a corner with Leeds' Luke Ayling at Elland Road. The old rivals meet on the first weekend of the Premier League season.
This was one of the most bitter rivalries in the early days of the Premier League and Leeds fans were distraught at missing out on a trip to Old Trafford last season. Now they have a chance to reignite the Roses derby between Lancashire and Yorkshire – so, expect it to be a fizzing, frenetic and very noisy fixture. Just what we’ve all been missing during the pandemic. The hatred between the clubs goes back a long way and is as much about geography as it is about football; but as long ago as Sir Matt Busby v Don Revie it was a highlight in the football calendar and remains so. The fixture went missing when Leeds were relegated in 1982 and in 2004, but was at its height in the days when Eric Cantona switched between the clubs and Leeds won the first-ever Premier League title in 1993, ahead of United. Don’t expect it to have lost any of its fervour.
You wait 74 years to get back into the top flight and what’s your reward? A home game against London rivals Arsenal. It really couldn’t get any better for Brentford, who were promoted via the play-offs. Don’t expect it to be easy, Gunners fans. Back in the pre-War days, the Bees were regarded as Arsenal’s bogey team and were rarely beaten in this fixture. It was Brentford who featured as the away team in the popular Arsenal Stadium Mystery film of 1939 – but there’s no mystery around how they have returned to the big league. They are one of the best run clubs in the country, and with Ivan Toney up front Arsenal know they will be in for a difficult time at Brentford's new but still intimate home ground in west London. It may be one for the history books.
This is a huge season for Liverpool if they are to persuade the football world that 2020-21 was just a blip and that rather than flunking their defence of the title they were victims of injury and misfortune beyond their control. So, the arrival of Chelsea – the most improved team of last season and now serious title contenders – is a massive test of that theory. Liverpool need to get back to winning ways at Anfield, where they were so poor last time out. But European champions Chelsea look a real force under Thomas Tuchel. The battle of the German managers could be a fascinating one and a real highlight of the opening weeks.
The first big city derby of the campaign arrives early, and it’s one that could shape the future of both north London clubs who are in desperate need of positivity. Arsenal’s miserable campaign last season left them with no trophies and no European football, and fans are demanding owner Stan Kroenke sells up. So, Mike Arteta needs a big transfer market – and a fast start. It’s not much better for Tottenham, however. Still scrambling around for a new manager after being turned down by so many, they are hoping Paulo Fonseca will be the man – but he’ll need to get to trips with derby day pretty quickly. Will Harry Kane be on the pitch? That’s the key.
The run-away champions of last season start their campaign with a home against Tottenham, but the biggest test of their early campaign comes with a trip to Stamford Bridge. It’s first ‘title decider’ of the season and comes with a massive extra kick. Chelsea beat City three times last season, including in the Champions League Final, so this is a revenge mission for Pep Guardiola who had to endure headlines suggesting he lost the tactical battle against Thomas Tuchel in all those games. Judging by the way Chelsea improved since Tuchel arrived in west London, you’d expect the Premier League title battle to be fought primarily between these two clubs and 25 September is the first opportunity to judge where the balance lies. The European Champions against the Premier League champions is a fixture highlight in anybody’s book.
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