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Hull are going to really struggle to be competitive in the Premier League this season with the lowest valued squad in the league. They did really well to secure promotion via the playoffs last season, but all the underlying data suggests that this achievement did come with quite a bit of luck and I think that will play out in them finishing towards the bottom of the table.

Manchester United enjoyed a decent second half of the season under Carrick following the departure of Amorim and this game gives them an opportunity to make a strong start to the campaign. Tielemans and Santos should feature as new signings and United actually had a pretty good away record last season - losing just four of their 19 away matches.

Did you know that Brentford have never beaten Tottenham at home in the Premier League?

It's quite an interesting stat, considering how difficult of a ground the Gtech has become in recent campaigns - especially for some of the traditional big six sides. Even during their disaster season last year, Tottenham beat Brentford at home and earned a point against Keith Andrews' side on the road.

It's also worth noting that most of Tottenham's poor form was at home last season, they ranked sixth for away form last season and crucially avoided defeat in 12 of their 19 matches. They have bolstered the squad significantly over the summer window with the likes of Tonali, Van Hecke, Fernandes and Robertson all joining and De Zerbi led them through a promising pre-season campaign where Tottenham avoided defeat across five matches.

This is a favourable first game of the season for Arsenal, who are protecting the title for the first time under Mikel Arteta and I expect them to get off to a comfortable start.

Arsenal showed their quality in taking apart Manchester City in the Community Shield last week, coming away 3-0 winners and looking comfortable in that victory despite being without key players. 

They’ve recruited well with the likes of Tzolis and Guimaraes bolstering an already complete squad which should serve them well to push for the title again this campaign.

Arsenal netted 41 goals across their 19 home games in the Premier League last season (2.15 per game), only Manchester City (45) scored more goals at home than Mikel Arteta’s side.

Both head to head meetings between these sides last season saw BTTS, with Betis coming away 3-1 winners as the home side last term followed by a 2-2 draw when they traveled to face Real Sociedad. 

Real Sociedad saw BTTS in all six of their friendly matches ahead of the new campaign, and have seen BTTS in each of their last 10 matches more widely. 

They’re actually without a clean sheet across their last 15 matches, so I wouldn’t expect them to keep out a Betis side that scored 34 goals at home last season (1.78 per game). 

Betis did concede 19 goals at home last season (1.0 per game) and the underlying data would suggest that they can replicate their 3-1 win over Real Sociedad last season - a game that saw both sides come away with a healthy xG (2.47-0.84). 

Kai Havertz scored Arsenal’s second goal in their 3-0 win over Manchester City in the Community Shield last time out, heading home after being set up by Christos Tzolis.

Havertz still divides opinion as a striker, but I do think he suits this Arsenal side and will inevitably get chances here in a side that will create plenty of chances against a newly promoted Coventry outfit.

Havertz scored three goals across four starts at the World Cup from seven shots on target (1.77 per 90), and averaged 2.78 shots per 90 in the Premier League last season across seven starts - scoring two goals in the process.

Gyokeres is also an option for Arsenal from the bench if they can’t break Coventry down with Havertz leading the line, he scored 14 goals in the Premier League last season and is a decent Super Sub option. 

Caleb Yirenkyi has joined Coventry from Nordsjaelland after impressing in Denmark for the last two campaigns. He also enjoyed a strong World Cup campaign for Ghana, committing seven fouls across three starts (2.39 per 90).

Yirenkyi played 90 minutes against England as part of these appearances at the World Cup, committing three fouls alone in that encounter as Ghana earned a 0-0 draw against Thomas Tuchel’s side in the group stage of the competition.

Yirenkyi will have a tough first assignment in the Premier League here with his direct opponents likely to be Bruno Guimaraes (2.75 fouls won per 90) and Myles Lewis-Skelly (2.06 fouls won per 90) - with the latter also being fouled twice in the Community Shield last time out.

Yirenkyi averaged 1.65 fouls committed per 90 in the Superligaen last season, so he’s already got quite a solid base to improve on here against the best side in the Premier League who now have two of the strongest players when it comes to winning fouls in central areas. 

I picked out this selection as a Gem Bet for the Community Shield last week, with the price available at 2.10. 

I mentioned that we wouldn’t see that price again, and it has dropped significantly since but is still a solid option for this opening game of the Premier League season.

Myles Lewis-Skelly is a brilliant player and it looks like we’ll be seeing him more in central areas this season given that Arteta has played him in midfield throughout pre-season and in the Community Shield last week.

Lewis-Skelly was fouled twice in that game against Manchester City, and has been fouled at least once in all four of Arsenal’s pre-season friendlies - winning 2+ fouls in three of these games.

He lines up against a Coventry side that will try everything to break up the game as much as possible, as his direct battle against Caleb Yirenkyi is one to watch. 

It’s hard to see anything other than a convincing Arsenal win in this game. The handicap is available at 1.5, which is a little too short for me - but backing Arteta’s side to score 2+ goals looks like a decent angle.

Only Manchester City (45) scored more goals at home than Arsenal (41) in the Premier League last season. That works out to an average of 2.15 goals per game, with Arsenal picking up more points than any other side at home last term (47).

There isn’t a tougher assignment in the Premier League at the moment than travelling to the Emirates, so this will be a tough task for Coventry and maybe a bit of a learning curve for Frank Lampard and his side as they adapt to the division ans try to implement their new signings. 

It looks like Ellis Simms will start the season as Coventry’s main striker having impressed in pre-season with goals against Espanyol and Monaco, building on his impressive campaign in the Championship last term.

I did think we’d see Haji Wright leading the line for Coventry after his 17 goal haul in the Championship last term, but Simms scored 13 goals across just 15 starts in the second division - a rate of 0.72 goals per 90. 

This is an exceptional record and I think he’s the most likely to cause Arsenal problems in this game when Coventry can get into more advanced areas on the counter attack. He managed 76 shots in the Championship last term (4.20 per 90), seeing 34 of these attempts find the target (1.88 per 90).

Riccardo Calafiori scored after just 20 seconds in Arsenal’s win over Manchester City in the Community Shield last time out, pushing forward to get on the end of a through ball by Myles Lewis-Skelly.

Calafiori is one of the most adventurous fullbacks in the Premier League and repeatedly kept pushing on into advanced areas when Arsenal went forward, also offering a threat from set pieces with Arteta’s side still having corners as a main part of their attacking approach this season.

Calafiori averaged 1.69 shots per 90 in the Premier League last season, and could be a good option to break down what should be a low block from Coventry with his late runs into the box, many of which go untracked as a result of his clever movement.

Bobby Thomas picked up more yellow cards than any other Coventry player in the Championship last season (8) and also picked up a red card during the campaign.

I think the centre back will end up with a healthy card count again this season given his aggressive nature and the step up in quality of opposition that he will have to deal with in the Premier League.

Thomas is a very physical centre back, he is likely to struggle with the cute movement of Havertz who knows how to antagonise his direct opponent as well with Arsenal perfecting that side of their game last term - much to the annoyance of the rest of the league.

Thomas collected those cards from a foul average of just 0.77, suggesting that a decent portion of his fouls are cynical or reckless rather than it being a case of Thomas accumulating small niggling fouls. 

Heerenveen have seen BTTS in five of their last six matches across all competitions, seeing BTTS & No Draw in four of these games.

Each of the last five head to head meetings between these sides has seen BTTS, with both league meetings last season seeing BTTS & No Draw.

Zwolle conceded 50 goals on the road in the Eredivisie last season, more than any other side in the division - but they did manage to score 23 goals across their 17 matches. 

Fortuna Sittard have seen BTTS in both of their Eredivisie matches so far, winning one of these games.

Alkmaar ran out 4-1 winners over Utrecht on the road last time out.

This fixture produced seven goals last season as Sittard came away 4-3 winners over Alkmaar. 

Cheltenham have seen BTTS & No Draw in both of their competitive matches so far this season, losing in the EFL Cup to Charlton before winning 2-1 against Rotherham.

Swindon’s home games were very entertaining in League Two last season, scoring 38 goals (1.65 per game) and conceding 27 (1.17 per game). 

Swindon saw BTTS & No Draw in both of their friendly matches before the campaign, and in the first round of the EFL Cup as they lost 3-2 to Cardiff.

Derby have seen BTTS in each of their last three matches, seeing BTTS & No Draw in two of these games.

Cardiff scored in the last minute against Wrexham last time out to earn a point, they’ve seen BTTS & No Draw in two of their last three matches.

These sides faced off in January last year in a game that ended 2-1 to Cardiff, with both sides registering an xG in excess of 1.0 (2.27-1.24).

Both of these sides have made positive starts to the season, avoiding defeat in each of their opening two matches of the campaign.

Fortuna Sittard have seen BTTS in both of their matches so far, holding PSV to a 2-2 draw on the opening day away from home before beating a newly promoted Cambuur side 3-1 in front of their own fans.

Alkmaar saw BTTS last time out as they came away 4-1 winners over Utrecht on the road in a game that saw them rack up an xG of 2.10. Their last visit to this stadium produced seven goals, with Fortuna Sittard coming away 4-3 winners on that occasion.

Fortuna Sittard scored 28 and conceded 29 goals at home in the Eredivisie last season, working out to an average of 3.35 goals per game.

I was impressed with both of these sides on the opening weekend of the EFL as both managed to collect three points with QPR beating Portsmouth 3-1 and Bolton winning 2-1 at home against Preston at home.

Both teams were quite entertaining in registering those victories as well, Bolton racked up an xG of 1.10 from 15 shots while QPR had an xG of 2.07 from 13 shots as the away side.

QPR have seen BTTS in five of their last six matches ahead of this clash, including their EFL Cup tie against Millwall which ended 1-1. They saw 77 goals across their 23 home games in the Championship last term, working out to an average of 3.34 goals per game.

West Ham gave up a two goal lead on the opening weekend as Burnley came from behind to earn a point against the Hammers thanks to a brace from Zain Fleming.

That was probably a good experience for West Ham to have as it shows how competitive the Championship can be, but I do expect them to register their first win of the campaign against a Charlton side who are going to pick up most of their points at home this season.

Charlton only managed to win four of their 23 away matches in the Championship last season, notably only scoring 21 goals across these games. 

I’m not sure that this will be enough firepower to trouble a West Ham side who have just added Joel Piroe to their attacking options, alongside the talent of Bowen, Castellanos and Soloman.

Real Madrid’s frontline looks frightening this season with Mbappe, Vinicius and Bellingham now joined by Yan Diomande. 

Jose Mourinho’s side should be able to get off to a strong start here against an Espanyol side that they beat 2-0 on the road back in May, thanks to a brace from Vinicius Jr. 

Real Madrid have won six of the last seven head to head meetings between the sides, and come into this clash having avoided defeat in pre-season - winning four of their five matches.

Espanyol failed to beat the likes of Coventry, Middlesbrough and Burnley during their pre-season campaign.  Only four sides in LaLiga picked up fewer points than Espanyol at home last season, with Manolo Gonzalez’s side notably only scoring 21 goals across their 19 games - only two sides scored fewer goals at home in the Spanish top flight.

These two ranked first and third for BTTS in la Liga last season and I’m expecting an excellent match-up on Friday night, with both sides having serious quality in the final thirds.

Real Sociedad had a huge 78% strike rate for this selection in the ‘25/26 campaign, whilst Betis followed closely with 68%.

La Liga has got off to a flying start with the opening five matches all seeing two or more goals, four of them saw three or more and three of the five paid out on BTTS.

Mikel Oyarzabal may be a miss here from the off, but should get some minutes from the bench.

With star man Oyarzabal set to start from the bench, it’s down to young Óskarsson to lead the line for Sociedad.

The Icelandic striker has netted three goals in pre-season and impressed in limited minutes last year as he scored nine La Liga goals.

His 19 shots on target last campaign were second only to Oyarzabal, despite playing just a third of the minutes.

He averaged 2.05 per 90 and hit the target in seven of his eight domestic starts.

The beauty of this selection is also the potential super sub, with that being Oyazabal, who scored 15 goals last season and averaged 1.20 shots on target per 90 minutes.

The former Man City fullback is an excellent footballer, but I’ve never been overly impressed with his defensive capabilities.

Gomez averaged 1.50 fouls per 90 minutes in La Liga last season and will be lining up against former Man United winger, Antony.

Although much mocked for his time in England, Antony has been a good addition for Betis. He was impeded an average of 1.62 times per 90 minutes in the ‘25/26 season.

Gomez committed a foul on Antony when the two met at this ground last season. Antony was excellent in both fixtures and carries a serious threat for the hosts.

Barrenetxea will start off the left here for Sociedad, which puts him up against Hector Bellerin and Antony.

As much as Antony has been excellent, we know how petulant he can be and he did commit an average of 0.74 fouls per 90 last season. 

An identical output to Bellerin, so a combined 1.48 fouls per 90 between them. Bellerin doesn’t have the lightning pace he once did and is prone to getting caught out, particularly in transition.

Barrenetxea drew fouls at a rate of 1.53 times per 90 on average in La Liga last season and was fouled in both league meetings between the sides.

There's usually no shortage of goalmouth action when East Kilbride are involved, and I expect more of the same when they travel to Montrose on Saturday.

Mick Kennedy's side have adapted well to life in Scottish League One, with their games proving just as goal-heavy as they were last season. 

Over 2.5 goals has landed in two of their opening three league games, while all four of their Scottish League Cup matches also cleared that line. 

The case for overs is strengthened further by Montrose's own record, with each of their opening three league games producing at least three goals. 

That includes a 5-0 home defeat to Hamilton on the opening day, while Stuart Petrie's side also pushed title favourites Ross County close in a 2-1 defeat a fortnight ago. 

That suggests the hosts can play their part in what has the makings of another high-scoring affair.

I'm keen to back Hamilton to pick up another win when they travel to East Fife on Saturday.

Darian McKinnon's men have hit the ground running in Scottish League One, taking maximum points from each of their opening three matches. 

They thumped Montrose 5-0 on the road on the opening weekend and put four past Airdrie last Saturday to move to the top of the table. 

The Accies also fired in five against Elgin in the League Cup before the league campaign got underway, so they should head to Bayview brimming with confidence.

As for East Fife, they have made a mixed start to the campaign, picking up one win and a draw before losing 2-1 away to Peterhead last weekend.

The Fifers face a serious step up in class this weekend, and I fancy Hamilton to bank all three points at Bayview.

Ross County have made an excellent start to the season, and I think they can maintain that momentum when they travel to Airdrie on Saturday.

Stuart Kettlewell's side have quickly put any concerns over a relegation hangover to bed, topping a Scottish League Cup group that included top-flight outfit Dundee.

They carried that form into the league, winning each of their opening two fixtures before producing another impressive result last weekend by beating Dunfermline 2-1 away from home to book their place in the League Cup quarter-finals.

Airdrie, meanwhile, are still searching for their first league victory after drawing their opening two matches before being hammered 4-0 by Hamilton last weekend. 

That setback will hardly fill the Diamonds with confidence ahead of the visit of a Ross County side that are playing with plenty of confidence at the moment.

I think Dunfermline can get on the scoresheet at least once when they travel to Livingston in the Scottish Championship on Saturday afternoon.

Neil Lennon's side have made a mixed start to the season, but they have generally been reliable in front of goal, netting 12 times across their opening seven games. 

Notably, Dunfermline secured a 1-0 victory away to top-flight St Mirren during the League Cup group stage.

Livingston, meanwhile, were comfortably beaten 2-0 by Partick Thistle in their last outing and could consider themselves fortunate not to have suffered a heavier defeat. 

The Lions also conceded when playing host to Partick during the League Cup group stage, and Dunfermline should provide a similar test on Saturday.

Neither Morton nor Arbroath have had much to shout about during the opening weeks of the season, but I fancy the visitors to come away from Cappielow with something to show for their efforts.

It has been a miserable start to the campaign for Morton, who lost all 4 of their Scottish League Cup group stage games before coming away empty-handed from each of their opening 2 league fixtures. 

There is also no shortage of issues behind the scenes, with Ian Murray admitting that the club could be forced to forfeit matches given how stretched his squad is.

Arbroath are also searching for their first league win of the season, but they at least got themselves on the board with a goalless draw against Inverness last time out. 

The Red Lichties also picked up a couple of wins in the League Cup, so I think they can avoid defeat in Greenock on Saturday afternoon.

Bryan Mbeumo is set to start the season as Manchester United’s main striker with Benjamin Sesko still getting back to full fitness following an injury.

Mbeumo has become a very reliable goalscorer at this level having netted 10+ Premier League goals in each of the last two campaigns, including reaching 20 goals for Brentford in the season prior to joining Manchester United.

Mbeumo took 73 shots in the Premier League last season (2.51 per 90), seeing 32 of these efforts find the target (1.10 per 90).

I’d expect Manchester United to have at least five efforts on goal in this game, they had more shots on target than any other side in the Premier League last season (5.70 per game).

Bruno Fernandes is arguably the best player in the Premier League and enjoyed a really successful season last year, registering 30 goal contributions across his 35 starts in the top flight.

He was mainly a creative asset for United, racking up 21 assists and beating the Premier League record for the number of assists in a single season. He did pitch in with nine goals though from 85 shots (2.50 per 90).

He maintained an average of 0.70 shots on target per 90 in the Premier League last season and I think he’ll get opportunities here to get shots away from distance with Hull expected to sit quite deep and look to pick off United on the counter.

Harry Maguire enjoyed a strong second half of the campaign last season as United finished third in the Premier League and should be an important figure at the back again for Carrick’s side.

Maguire is surprisingly good at winning fouls for a centre back. He’s always been quite comfortable on the ball, and often comes out on top in duels due to his physical stature which opposition strikers tend to struggle against.

He’ll be up against Oli McBurnie here, who is going to spend a lot of time chasing down long balls. McBurnie averaged 1.61 fouls committed per 90 in the Championship last season, a rate that should translate to the Premier League.

Maguire won 16 fouls across his 19 starts in the Premier League last season (0.87 per 90), ranking him in the 78th percentile for fouls won when compared with other centre backs in the division. 

Manchester United saw an average of 9.69 corners per game in the Premier League last season, seeing 8+ match corners in 74% of their matches.

I’d expect them to come away with a healthy corner count again in this clash, given that they will be up against a low block that will force them into wide areas to get crosses into the box.

United have the height and delivery to offer a real threat from these situations this season too - with the likes of Fernandes seeking out Maguire and others in the penalty area with his precise deliveries.

Hull may also be able to contribute to the overall corner count given that they saw an average of 10.31 corners in the Championship last season, seeing 8+ corners in 78% of their matches. 

Hull are going to really struggle to be competitive in the Premier League this season with the lowest valued squad in the league. They did really well to secure promotion via the playoffs last season, but all the underlying data suggests that this achievement did come with quite a bit of luck and I think that will play out in them finishing towards the bottom of the table.

Manchester United enjoyed a decent second half of the season under Carrick following the departure of Amorim and this game gives them an opportunity to make a strong start to the campaign. Tielemans and Santos should feature as new signings and United actually had a pretty good away record last season - losing just four of their 19 away matches.

Bryan Mbeumo started last season really strongly before tailing off a little in the second half of the campaign. 

He’s got a really good opportunity to make a strong start to this season and build some confidence with United taking on Hull and Ipswich in their first two matches of the campaign.

Mbeumo registered 14 goal contributions in the Premier League last season (11 goals, 3 assists) - from an xG & xA tally of 17.2. Only Bruno Fernandes (30) registered more goal contributions for Manchester United last season.

I can see Oli McBurnie ending the campaign as one of the most cautioned strikers in the Premier League given his general temperament and the frustrating scenarios he’s likely to find himself in this season at the pinnacle of a low block.

McBurnie collected eight yellow cards in the Championship last season, for a Hull side that picked up more cautions than any other side in the division (115). 

Only Lewie Coyle (12) and Matt Crooks (13) picked up more yellow cards than McBurnie for Hull in the Championship last season, and both are much shorter than the forward to end up in the referees notebook here.

Youri Tielemans is a very interesting signing by Manchester United with the former Aston Villa man part of a bit of a rebuild in the middle of the park with Carrick also picking up Andrey Santos and possibly Carlos Baleba, who is heavily linked with a move to Old Trafford.

Tielemans likes to shoot from distance, which is the main reason for this angle. 16 of his 24 shots in the Premier League came from outside the box last season (66%) and I can see him stepping into those shooting positions again in this clash.

Hull will sit quite deep in this game and invite Manchester United to break them down, which is where someone with the quality of Tielemans from distance could help United to unlock a stubborn backline when building from wide areas may prove unsuccessful.

Oli McBurnie was the hero for Hull last season, as it was his goal in the playoff final which sent the Tigers to the Premier League.

The Scottish international looks set to lead the line under Sergej Jakirovic here against Man United, and he could have quite a difficult task. On paper, Hull’s starting eleven doesn’t look particularly strong, and Man United should be able to dominate possession. 

McBurnie could find himself quite isolated up front, given the thankless task of holding up the ball to try and bring his teammates into the game.

However, that is a role he can excel in - McBurnie is a very physical presence up front, and he does well to use his body to shield the ball and attract defenders into tackles. He had an average of 1.15 fouls drawn per 90 for Hull last season in the Championship.

Thierno Barry has looked sharp for Everton in pre-season, and he looks like he will get the nod to start up front over Beto for this opening game of the season against Crystal Palace. The 23-year-old scored eight goals for the Toffees in his Premier League debut campaign, and he showed glimpses of his potential, particularly towards the end of the season. 

Impressively, he actually featured in all 38 league matches, during which he had an average of 2.21 fouls per 90 - one of the highest figures in the squad. The Frenchman is not afraid to throw himself about, and he only picked up three yellow cards - the majority of his infringements tend to be quite soft, resulting from him pressing intensely from the front. 

Enzo Le Fee looks set to feature in an advanced midfield role for Sunderland this season, having previously played primarily on the left, which has given him a much larger role on the ball. The Frenchman had an average of 1.13 fouls drawn per 90 last season, rising to 1.26 when playing away. 

Ipswich have a new-look starting eleven, and it is likely to be Sasa Lukic to start alongside Sindre Walle Egeli in the double pivot. The former had an average of 2.85 fouls per 90 across all competitions for Fulham last season, picking up ten yellows in his 30 appearances. The latter was also amongst the duels, with 1.46 fouls per 90 for the Tractor Boys in the Championship, making this a great matchup to target Le Fee.

16 Premier League players made it into double figures for bookings last season, and Ethan Ampadu was one of those. The Welshman had an average of 1.44 fouls per 90 in the Premier League operating in a defensive midfield position for Leeds, which was one of the highest figures in the squad. 

He is given plenty of ground to cover on the defensive front, and Ampadu racked up three fouls against Forest at the City Ground in this fixture last season. Once again, he should find duels against the likes of Igor Jesus and Morgan Gibbs-White, and be tasked with cutting out Forest counter attacks. The 25-year-old is no stranger to a cynical foul, and he should have his hands full this weekend. 

With 74 fouls to his name last season, no player committed more infringements than Igor Thiago in the entire Premier League.

The Brazilian is an incredibly aggressive striker, always looking to contest duels and make life hard for opposing centre backs. 

Spurs will have a refreshed backline heading into this clash, having signed Jan Paul Van Hecke and Marcos Senesi over the summer.

The former had an average of 1.21 fouls drawn per 90 last season for Brighton, while the latter had an average of 1.01 for Bournemouth. Both defenders were adept at drawing contact at the back, and they will have plenty to contend with against Igor Thiago here.

Kevin Schade was another player who bagged a brace in Brentford’s 7-0 victory against Frankfurt, and the Bees have done well to retain the services of the highly rated German for the upcoming campaign. In addition to scoring twice, Schade also provided two assists, meaning he was directly involved in four of Brentford’s seven goals.

With eight goals and three assists to his name in the Premier League last season, Schade was one of Brentford’s standout attacking performers and will hope to build on those numbers.

His pace makes him particularly dangerous in transition, especially against a Tottenham side expected to defend with a relatively high line under De Zerbi. Spurs have a new-look backline, who might experience some teething problems, making this an ideal opportunity for Brentford, and Schade in particular, to capitalise.

Brentford’s business in the transfer market tends to be shrewd, and their most notable addition over the summer has been 24-year-old Mamadou Sangare from Lens, signed for just short of £40 million. The Mali international scored his first goal for the club against Frankfurt, and he looks set to partner Vitaly Janelt in the centre of midfield.

Sangare was a magnet for drawing fouls during his time at Lens last season, with his average of 1.7 fouls drawn per 90 ranking among the highest figures in the squad. He likes having the ball at his feet and regularly looks to carry it forward into advanced areas. Tottenham are likely to go with a midfield trio of Gallagher, Sandro Tonali and Rodrigo Bentancur here, which is an ideal matchup to target Sangare.

Tottenham had massive issues with injuries last season, which makes the signing of Marcos Senesi look like incredibly positive business.

The former Bournemouth centre-back featured in 36 of their 38 Premier League matches during the previous campaign before joining Spurs after his contract expired. In that time, he was booked eight times, highlighting how he can sometimes be drawn out of position, and forced into a cynical tackle. 

Senesi seems like a nice fit for De Zerbi’s system - the Argentine international likes to step out of the backline and get tight to opposition forwards. It may take some time for him to fully adjust to the new manager's system, especially against a side like Brentford who can be effective in transition.

Pedro Porro only returned to training last week after helping Spain win the World Cup, but there is a good chance he will be ready to start against Brentford despite missing the majority of Tottenham’s pre-season. The Spaniard played a pivotal role for La Roja over the summer and scored twice en route to lifting the World Cup trophy.

Porro has proven just how efficient he can be in attacking areas, and he regularly looks to get forward and join Tottenham’s attacks. He averaged 1.18 shots per 90 across all competitions last season, with that figure rising significantly to 1.71 after De Zerbi took charge.

The Italian’s system allows his fullbacks to move into advanced positions, while Porro is also a threat from direct free-kicks and efforts outside the box. If Brentford sit deep out of possession, Porro should be able to pick up some promising advanced positions.

Judging by Sergej Jakirovic’s team selections for Hull in pre-season, Mohamed Belloumi looks like he could be the starting winger.

The Algerian international started just ten matches last season, but Hull have an extensive injury list coming into this weekend, which has opened up a window of opportunity for Belloumi to start. 

The 24-year-old scored just two league goals last season, but his average of 3.57 shots per 90 was particularly impressive. Operating on the right, Belloumi is always looking to cut inside onto his stronger left foot, and he usually tries his luck from distance. In fact, of his 37 shots in the Championship last season, 21 came from outside the box.

It’s a tough opening fixture for the Tigers against Man United, but they should give it a real go in front of their home supporters, so this price appeals.

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall finished last season with eight goals and four assists under his belt from 31 Premier League appearances, which was an impressive return.

The 27-year-old had an average of 1.33 shots per 90 in the league overall, rising to 1.66 when playing at the Hill Dickinson Stadium. Considering he featured in a deeper midfield role for parts of last campaign, those numbers are strong. 

Christian Norgaard and Hayden Hackney have joined Everton over the summer, meaning David Moyes has plenty of midfield options now, and Dewsbury-Hall looks set to play in an advanced role.

The left footer is adept at picking out gaps in opposition defences, and when chances fall to his feet, he tends to be accurate. 

Sunderland are likely to be without Omar Alderete and Nordi Mukiele this weekend, which is a massive blow to their defensive structure.

Considering that is two of their biggest aerial threats out, Ipswich will hope to capitalise. Dara O’Shea is perhaps the most dangerous player for the Tractor Boys in the air, and they will hope to pick him out from set-pieces. The centre back managed to get on the scoresheet against Union Berlin in Sunderland’s final pre-season match, and he had an average of 0.93 shots per 90 in the Championship last season. 

That figure rises to 1.0 when playing at Portman Road, and he was incredibly consistent at clearing this line. In fact, O’Shea recorded a shot in ten out of 12 home matches to close out last season. 

Morgan Gibbs-White bagged himself 18 goals in 53 appearances across all competitions last season, making that his most prolific campaign to-date by quite some distance. He scored 15 times in 37 Premier League appearances, despite it being quite a turbulent season for his side. 

Oliver Glasner is now at the helm, and Forest have seemingly retained the services of their captain for the upcoming campaign, which is a massive boost for them. Gibbs-White had an average of 2.45 shots per 90 across all competitions last season, rising to 2.9 when playing at the City Ground where he was incredibly consistent at getting over this line. 

In fact, Gibbs-White recorded at least two shots in 20 out of 22 home starts last season, and one of the misses came against Man City. This matchup against Leeds should be much easier.

Dango Ouattara had an average of 2.21 shots per 90 in the Premier League last season, which was the second-highest in the Brentford squad behind Igor Thiago. 36% of those efforts hit the target, and Ouattara contributed seven goals in the previous campaign.

The 24-year-old was a constant threat on the right wing and he typically found more success at the Gtech Community Stadium - in fact, five of his seven goals last season were scored in front of a home support. 

Spurs were fortunate to escape relegation last term, and while they have strengthened their squad over the summer, Brentford still have every reason to approach this match with confidence. The Bees are pre-match favourites, and Ouattara is one to target in the final third.

The two Premier League meetings between these sides last season were entertaining, producing eight goals in total. Forest secured a 3-1 victory when Leeds visited the City Ground, but Daniel Farke’s men got their revenge by the same scoreline at Elland Road. BTTS landed comfortably in both encounters, with neither defence able to contain the opposing attack.

Leeds come into their opening fixture as slight underdogs, but their pre-season performances have been encouraging, with a 4-0 win against Augsburg last time out. They have every reason to approach this match with confidence, rather than sit back and absorb pressure. Because of that, we could get another open contest, similar to what we saw last season when these teams met.

James Trafford is expected to make his competitive Leeds debut after completing a club-record move from Manchester City. The 23-year-old struggled for regular Premier League minutes at the Etihad but still featured 17 times across all competitions, helping City secure a domestic cup double. A move to Elland Road should allow him to establish himself as a first-choice goalkeeper. 

Forest tend to play with far more attacking intent at the City Ground, where they are buoyed by the home crowd. The hosts will be determined to make an impression in their new manager’s first competitive game, so Leeds may have to withstand sustained periods of pressure. The hosts have more than enough talent in the final third to cause Trafford problems this weekend.

James Justin looks set to operate at left wingback for Leeds this season, with Gabriel Gudmundsson ruled out for the start of the campaign through injury.

The 28-year-old averaged 1.14 shots per 90 in the Premier League last season, and he even managed to find the back of the net twice. His first goal came against Everton when playing in this left wingback role - Justin racked up five shots in that match, and was a huge threat in the final third.

He always looks to arrive late in the box, and is more inclined to cut inside from the left onto his stronger right foot, which creates favourable shooting angles. 

Justin played in a left wingback position for the final four matches of last season, and he recorded a shot in each of those.

It’s no secret that Glasner likes his wingbacks to press forward and play a significant role in attacking areas, which should suit Neco Williams perfectly. The Welsh international was voted Forest’s Player of the Season last campaign after contributing two goals and three assists, and his energy on the flank makes him an ideal fit for Glasner’s preferred system.

Williams had an average of 1.29 shots per 90 in the Premier League last season, which is already impressive for a defender, but that figure rose even further to 1.51 when playing at the City Ground. Towards the back end of the previous campaign, Williams played a massive role in the final third, and he racked up 20 shots in the final seven Premier League home matches alone.

Ibrahim Sangare picked up a yellow card in both head-to-head meetings against Leeds last season, committing three fouls in each match. He was one of Forest’s main offenders in terms of infringements, finishing the league season with an average of 1.82 fouls per 90, and 2.35 fouls per 90 at home. 

His usual midfield partner, Elliot Anderson, has completed a switch to Man City, but Sangare has committed his future to the club by signing a new contract. The Ivory Coast international looks set for a massive role in midfield, and he should have more defensive work to do this season following Anderson’s departure. 

Leeds have plenty of players who like to carry the ball in midfield, like Noah Okafor and Brenden Aaronson, who should keep Sangare busy again here. 

Dewsbury-Hall won both penalties for Everton during their final pre-season matches, and Iliman Ndiaye converted on each occasion. Following the expiry of Jack Grealish’s loan deal, Ndiaye has adopted a much larger role for the Toffees in the final third. 

The Senegalese international averaged 1.39 shots per 90 in the Premier League last season, which is nothing to write home about, but 51% of those efforts hit the target. That is impressive accuracy, and it shows how he tends to test the goalkeeper when opportunities fall his way. There is every reason to expect his shot figures to increase this campaign, and the fact that he appears to be the designated penalty taker is helpful for this selection.

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall enjoyed a successful debut campaign at Everton last season, and he looks set to continue in an advanced midfield role. He was one of their standout performers during pre-season and managed to win a penalty against both Newcastle and Lille, with his movement into the box causing problems for opposing defenders.

The Englishman averaged 1.64 fouls drawn per 90 in the Premier League last season, with that figure rising to 1.94 when playing at home. Dewsbury-Hall typically played with much more confidence in front of the Everton supporters, and Moyes gives him the freedom to carry the ball into advanced areas.

Everton should be able to enjoy spells of possession against a Palace side adapting to a new manager, so Dewsbury-Hall should see plenty of the ball.

Following the departure of Lacroix, Chris Richards has been pushed into a central role, with Jaydee Canvot and Chadi Riad expected to operate alongside him. There is plenty of uncertainty surrounding Palace at the moment, especially with Pierre Sage at the helm, but he appears set on retaining the 3-4-3 formation used by his predecessor.

The Moroccan centre back featured sporadically last season and sometimes looked rusty when called upon. He started eight matches across all competitions during the previous campaign and was carded in three of those. Riad also averaged 1.39 fouls per 90, showing that he is not afraid to step forward and make a challenge.

Riad could find himself defending against Johnson or Iliman Ndiaye in the wide areas, two pacy players who will try and get the beating of him.

The Toffees look in a better position than Palace heading into this clash, and David Moyes will hope his side can start the season on the right foot.

With that being said, there is still a problem to address at right-back following the departure of Seamus Coleman. Everton’s back four could otherwise remain similar to last season, with Jordan Pickford continuing between the sticks.

|The England goalkeeper was kept busy in both head-to-head meetings last season, and he played an important role in Everton taking four points. He racked up five saves at the Hill Dickinson Stadium before making another six in the reverse fixture at Selhurst Park.

Palace are likely to set up with a front three of Jean-Philippe Mateta, Yeremy Pino and Ismaila Sarr - a dangerous trio who should keep Pickford busy.

Everton have an excellent head-to-head record against Palace, and they are unbeaten in 11 meetings dating back to the 2021/22 season. The Toffees prevailed by a 2-1 margin in this fixture last season before taking another point from Selhurst Park in a 2-2 draw.

The main focus here is Palace’s business in the transfer window. They have lost a key centre-back in Maxence Lacroix to Chelsea, while Brennan Johnson has also departed to join Everton. Daniel Munoz is attracting interest as well, and another departure would be a significant blow for the Eagles.

Everton’s transfer window has been much more positive. They have permanently secured the services of Tyrique George and Merlin Rohl, while Hayden Hackney, Christian Norgaard and Johnson have also joined.

Spurs picked up 101 yellow cards last season, with no other Premier League side reaching triple digits. They also added another five red cards, highlighting just how poor their disciplinary record was across the campaign. That was only heightened when De Zerbi arrived, as Tottenham collected at least three yellow cards in all seven league matches under the new manager.

Tensions were understandably high as Spurs battled to avoid relegation, but De Zerbi also encourages his teams to be aggressive in their press, to win the ball back as quickly as possible. He adopted a similar approach at Marseille, who ranked top of the Ligue 1 charts for total yellow cards last season.

Tottenham finished last season on a high, and their performances definitely improved under De Zerbi. He recorded three wins, two draws and two defeats in his seven matches in charge, helping Spurs secure their Premier League status after a difficult campaign. They also showed much more attacking intent under the Italian, which translated to an increase in corners.

Spurs managed at least five corners in six of their seven Premier League games under De Zerbi. The only miss came in a 2-1 defeat against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, but they still went close after forcing four corners. De Zerbi likes his sides to play quite direct, vertical football, utilising overloads in wide areas when they have spells of settled possession.

Conor Gallagher was a notable contributor to Tottenham’s disciplinary record, as he started all seven Premier League matches under De Zerbi and was booked in two of those appearances. The former Chelsea midfielder is strong in his challenges, and he averaged 1.81 fouls per 90 for Spurs last season after returning to London from Atletico Madrid in January.

Gallagher appears to be rated highly by De Zerbi, having played a big role for the Lilywhites in pre-season. The 26-year-old also played 81 minutes against Hoffenheim in Tottenham’s final friendly, suggesting he is being prepared to start at the Gtech Community Stadium. Despite starting in more of an attacking midfield position, Gallagher will be tasked with leading the press, and limiting the amount of time the Brentford midfielders get on the ball.

Jan Paul van Hecke looks set for a significant role at Tottenham this season, especially considering he previously worked under De Zerbi at Brighton. Following his summer move, Van Hecke played the full 90 minutes against Hoffenheim and he should partner Marcos Senesi at the back, with Micky van de Ven yet to return to full fitness.

That means Van Hecke should find himself involved in plenty of physical duels against Igor Thiago, which is a matchup to keep an eye on. When Brentford played Brighton last season, Van Hecke was fouled twice at the Amex Stadium and once at the Gtech Community Stadium. Igor Thiago is an incredibly physical centre-forward, who is the target when the Bees play long. Van Hecke should have plenty of duels to contest this weekend. 

Igor Thiago was one of the Premier League’s most impressive performers last season, and his tally of 22 goals was only bettered by Erling Haaland. Doubts emerged after Brentford lost Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa, but Thiago stepped up to replace much of their attacking output. That earned the Brazilian a call-up to his national team for the World Cup, which speaks volumes about the quality he possesses.

Thiago averaged 2.3 shots per 90 in the league last season, which is not a particularly high figure, but more than 51% of his attempts hit the target. That highlights how clinical he tends to be when opportunities fall his way inside the box. He also scored twice during Brentford’s emphatic 7-0 victory over Frankfurt in their final pre-season friendly, so he is a player full of confidence at the moment.

Sunderland ranked fifth in the league for total yellow cards accumulated last season, averaging 2.16 per game. That number rose to 2.26 when playing away from home, where they typically exerted much less control on games. After their successful previous campaign, the Black Cats have had a quiet summer transfer window, so their approach is expected to remain very similar under Regis Le Bris. 

Ipswich were also a decent side to target for cards last season - they ranked tenth in the Championship, averaging 1.93 yellows per game. Considering the Taractor Boys finished in the automatic promotion spots, that figure is relatively high, and it is expected to rise as they return to the Premier League. This is a clash between two aggressive sides, and cards are a target.

Sunderland owe a lot of their success from last season to Robin Roefs - the Dutchman was incredibly reliable in between the sticks, and he accrued the third-most saves of any top flight keeper. His save percentage of 70.1% was on par with the likes of Gianluigi Donnarumma, Emi Martinez and Matz Sels, which speaks volumes of his quality. Roefs had an average of 3.13 saves per 90, rising to 3.63 when playing away from home. 

Ipswich have added plenty of attacking quality to their ranks over the summer, and they should be fired up on their return to the Premier League, especially at Portman Road. Last season, the Tractor Boys had an average of 16.5 shots per game at home, with 5.65 on target, which shows just how effective they can be when it comes to generating chances. 

New signing Thomas Meunier is still yet to play his first minutes in a Sunderland shirt, and he is a doubt to feature at Portman Road due to a back injury.

He is one of a few Sunderland defenders doubtful to feature this weekend. Omar Alderete picked up an injury while playing for Paraguay at the World Cup, while Nordi Mukiele is also struggling at the moment. The pair both seem to be nearing a return, but they didn’t feature during recent pre-season matches, so Luke O’Nein is likely to continue alongside Dan Ballard at the back. 

O'Nein only featured sporadically last season, and he had an average of 1.76 fouls drawn per 90 across all competitions. He should find duels against Emersonn this weekend, who averaged 2.39 fouls per 90 playing for Toulouse in Ligue 1 last season.

After suffering relegation to League One with Leicester last season, Abdul Fatawu completed a move to Ipswich over the summer, meaning he will play in the Premier League instead.

The Ghanaian international contributed nine goals and seven assists last season, which was more goal involvements than anyone else in the Leicester squad. He is a tricky customer to contain on the right wing, and is expected to slot straight into the Ipswich starting eleven. 

Fatawu had an average of 2.71 shots per 90 last season, despite Leicester struggling near the bottom of the league, and he was incredibly consistent at clearing this line. Fatawu can be quite predictable in his play, looking to cut inside onto his stronger left foot, but he is so difficult to stop, and he usually fancies his chances from distance.