• Premier League preview

United begin quest for 20th league title

August 12, 2011

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After a week of riots and looting, matters on the football pitch take centre stage this weekend. The Premier League returns to the fore in all its glory, with Manchester United aiming for a 20th title, and Chelsea, led by their new manager Andre Villas-Boas, looking to re-assert themselves as the team to beat.

The top flight gets back underway in earnest, with only Tottenham v Everton falling foul of the riots. The ESPN cameras will follow the action at St James' Park, where Arsenal start their campaign without Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri, while newcomers Swansea begin their season with a tricky trip to Manchester City on Monday.

Betting - Manchester United look strong again

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Newcastle v Arsenal - Live on ESPN

Summer activity: Both clubs have endured turbulent summers, with Newcastle rocked by player unrest and Arsenal pre-occupied with the on-going transfer saga of two of their top stars. Joey Barton's Twitter rants have landed him in hot water with the Newcastle board and he looks likely to be heading for the St James' Park exit door. Arsene Wenger is bracing himself for the departures of key duo Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri. It hasn't all been doom and gloom - Yohan Cabaye, Sylvain Marveaux, Demba Ba, Mehdi Abeid and Gabriel Obertan have all arrived on Tyneside, while Wenger has welcomed Gervinho and young talent Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to Emirates Stadium.
Key battle: Cheik Tiote produced some stellar performances last term and he will have to do so again to keep the re-emerging Aaron Ramsey quiet in the engine room.
Player to watch: Gervinho has already found the net for the Gunners since completing a £10.5 million switch from Lille, albeit in a pre-season friendly. The Ivory Coast striker promises much and will add an extra dimension to Arsenal's attack.
Talking point: Should Nasri and Fabregas leave as expected, who will Wenger draft in to fill the void?
Bet of the day: A 2-2 draw: 11/1 with bet365
Prediction: 2-2

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Blackburn v Wolves

Summer activity: Both clubs breathed a huge sigh of relief after narrowly escaping relegation last season, though their inactivity in the summer transfer window suggests they may find themselves embroiled in another fight to avoid the drop. Other than the new Wayne Rooney (a tag handed to David Goodwillie by Steve Kean), Blackburn's new owners Venky's have not managed to attract the big-name signings they had hoped to, while influential defender Phil Jones has joined Sir Alex Ferguson's ranks at Manchester United. Wolves have captured Birmingham centre-back Roger Johnson, though it remains to be seen whether that's enough to stem the flow of goals.
Key battle: Wolves' Jamie O'Hara has made his move from Tottenham permanent, and he will be keen to continue where he left off at the end of last season. Rovers will look to the likes of Brett Emerton for inspiration, with the Aussie tasked with controlling the midfield.
Player to watch: All eyes will be on £7 million man Johnson, the 28-year-old given the unenviable role of shoring up Wolves' leaky defence.
Talking point: Christopher Samba has been continually linked with a move away from Ewood Park. Steve Kean cannot afford to lose his defensive giant but he may be powerless to stop Samba from quitting Rovers should one of the Premier League's bigger clubs come knocking.
Bet of the day: Blackburn to win 2-1: 8/1 with bet365
Prediction: 2-1

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Fulham v Aston Villa

Summer activity: Alex McLeish already faces a battle to win over the Villa fans after his highly-charged move from arch rivals Birmingham. Add to that the fact he has lost Ashley Young and last season's player of the year Stewart Downing and it soon becomes apparent the size of the job McLeish has on his hands. Fulham boss Martin Jol resumes his love affair with the Premier League with much to prove after his controversial sacking at Spurs. Acquisitions in the form of former Liverpool left-back John Arne Riise and Czech midfielder Marcel Gecov have bolstered the squad, a squad that must now cope with the added distraction of the Europa League.
Key battle: The promising Marc Albrighton will aim to continue his rapid rise to prominence, although he'll have to get the better of Riise in order to flourish at Craven Cottage.
Player to watch: Signing Shay Given for £3.5m could prove a brilliant bit of business for McLeish, the veteran keeper still has much to offer and a lot to prove after seeing his spot taken by Joe Hart at Manchester City.
Talking point: Charles N'Zogbia enjoyed a terrific campaign last time out and is sure to light up Villa's midfield, but will the Midlands club score enough goals to threaten the top six?
Bet of the day: A 1-1 draw: 5/1 with bet365
Prediction: 1-1

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Liverpool v Sunderland

Summer activity: Since taking charge of Liverpool in January, Kenny Dalglish has splashed £100 million on new recruits. Jordan Henderson, Charlie Adam, Jose Enrique and Stewart Downing have joined Andy Carroll and Luis Suarez at Anfield, leaving fans salivating at the genuine prospect of winning silverware. Steve Bruce has been a busy man too, acquiring the services of old heads Wes Brown and John O'Shea from Manchester United, as well as the midfield trio of Seb Larsson, Craig Gardner and David Vaughan.
Key battle: Former Blackpool team-mates Adam and Vaughan know each other well. Their head-to-head is likely to have a huge bearing on the outcome of this one.
Player to watch: Connor Wickham's £9m signing from Ipswich Town has got people talking at the Stadium of Light and the striker has the potential to be an instant hit.
Talking point: With so many midfielders now at his disposal, how will Dalglish fit them all into his formation?
Bet of the day: Connor Wickham to be first goalscorer: 12/1 with bet365
Prediction: 3-1

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QPR v Bolton

Summer activity: Cantering to the Championship title is one thing; surviving, let alone excelling, in the Premier League is another. Neil Warnock will meet the challenge head on and he'll be hoping the talismanic Adel Taraabt will do the same after the club turned down the advances of Paris St Germain to keep him at Loftus Road. Bolton's pre-season has been overshadowed by two serious injuries to new signing Tyrone Mears and fans' favourite Lee Chung-Yong, who have both suffered broken legs.
Key battle: Taraabt has decided his immediate future lies in London and that's bad news for Premier League defences. The much sought-after Gary Cahill may have his thoughts elsewhere, but a rampaging Taraabt is likely to pre-occupy him soon enough.
Player to watch: Kevin Davies may not set the world alight with his direct style but, when he plays well, more often than not so too do Bolton.
Talking point: With funds set to be available to Arsene Wenger, Cahill's future will fall under the spotlight. Is Owen Coyle's key defender Arsenal-bound?
Bet of the day: Taarabt to score first: 7/1 with bet365
Prediction: 1-1

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Wigan v Norwich

Summer activity: Arguably two of the favourites for relegation, Wigan and Norwich clash at the DW Stadium desperate to get their season off to a flyer. Roberto Martinez may have resisted the clutches of Aston Villa, but Charles N'Zogbia didn't. Tom Cleverley is a name on everybody's lips at the moment but his progress will be monitored closely at Old Trafford after he returned to Manchester United after a loan spell. Strikers James Vaughan and Steve Morison have joined the ranks at Carrow Road and Kyle Naughton should prosper after joining on loan from Spurs.
Key battle: Grant Holt will be expected to plunder the goals for the Canaries but Gary Caldwell will be up to the physical battle.
Player to watch: Hugo Rodallega fired in fits and starts last term and if he is on his game he has the capability to unlock most defences.
Talking point: After two successive promotions, will Norwich find life in the Premier League a step too far?
Bet of the day: Wigan to get off to a flyer and win 2-0: 9/1 with bet365
Prediction: 2-0

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Sunday

Stoke v Chelsea

Summer activity: Tony Pulis has added steel to his squad in the form of experienced duo Jonathan Woodgate and Matthew Upson, though how much the injury-prone defenders will feature is debatable. Romelu Lukaku is likely to turn up the heat on the old guard at Chelsea, though the Blues' pursuit of Luka Modric appears to have stalled.
Key battle: John Terry is renowned for his no-nonsense defending and his refusal to compromise in a personal battle will excite the equally combative Kenwyne Jones.
Player to watch: Fernando Torres has much to prove after finding the net only once in 18 games for his new club after signing from Liverpool in January. On his day the Spaniard is unplayable but question marks surround whether he will have recovered fully from a concussion picked up on international duty.
Talking point: If Torres and Drogba can prosper as a partnership then Chelsea will be a major force. Villas-Boas will have a lot on his plate in his first season in England's top flight, but overseeing a harmonious partnership between his two best strikers should be a priority.
Bet of the day: Stoke have already experienced games of a competitive nature this season, back them to be too quick out of the blocks for Chelsea: 9/2 with bet365
Prediction: 1-0

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West Brom v Manchester United

Summer activity: Sir Alex Ferguson may have seen the likes of Paul Scholes, Edwin van der Sar and Gary Neville hang up their boots, but talented newcomers Ashley Young, Phil Jones and David de Gea are more than capable replacements. West Brom have been boosted by the news Chris Brunt penned a new deal, while Peter Odemwingie has so far decided to stay put.
Key battle: Ben Foster comes up against old faces and he could be seeing a lot of a fit and firing Wayne Rooney judging by the England man's pre-season form.
Player to watch: Shane Long stood out in the Championship we will know more about his ability to mix it with the big boys after his encounter with Manchester United's back four.
Talking point: With Wesley Sneijder's future still in the balance, do United have enough artillery in the midfield to be considered favourites for a 20th league title?
Bet of the day: United have banged goals in for fun in pre-season. Back them to repeat the three they got at Wembley with a 3-0 win at the Hawthorns: 10/1 with bet365
Prediction: 0-3

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Monday

Manchester City v Swansea

Summer activity: Roberto Mancini has worn the look of a frustrated man over the summer, freely admitting he had wanted to sign another three players. Clearly the purchases of Gael Clichy, Stefan Savic and £38 million Sergio Aguero, among others, have not quenched the Italian's thirst. In his defence, City certainly looked like they were missing something in the Community Shield defeat to United. The Swans have been quiet in their pre-season work, although manager Brendan Rogers did liken new goalkeeper Michel Vorm to Barcelona custodian Victor Valdes.
Key battle: Having failed to sign a central creative player to link midfield and attack, David Silva remains City's most intelligent footballer. He will drift in from the left to cause havoc, meaning Swansea right-back Angel Rangel - one of their own prized assets - will need to be on his game.
Player to watch: Scott Sinclair fired Swansea into the Premier League with a hat-trick in the play-off final. A former Chelsea squad member, he will want to prove he can cut it at the top level and has pace to burn.
Talking point: With every day that ticks by, it seems Carlos Tevez may stay at City while Samir Nasri could join. Where do the likes of James Milner and Adam Johnson fit in a squad that also boasts Aguero, Mario Balotelli and Edin Dzeko?
Bet of the day: With Carlos Tevez not ready to start the season, back Manchester City to successfully reveal a new penalty taker at odds of 4/1 with bet365
Prediction: 3-1

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