Premier League Matchweek 1 Preview, Predictions & Betting Tips

What’s New in 25/26: Transfers, Managers & Fixtures

Managerial Changes and New Faces

Perhaps the biggest managerial story of the summer was Thomas Frank’s move to Tottenham Hotspur, leaving Brentford in July.

Keith Andrews takes charge of Brentford in his first managerial position, following the departure of Frank.

Meanwhile, Regis Le Bris, the Sunderland manager, makes his debut in management in the Premier League following a three-year contract with the club that saw him get the Black Cats promoted in his first season. 

Pre-Season Headlines

Liverpool's final match before the start of their Premier League campaign saw Arne Slot’s side defeated on penalties in the Community Shield at Wembley. This follows the departures of some key players from the team over the summer, including Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez.

James Maddison will be out for most of the new season before it has even started after suffering an ACL injury in Tottenham Hotspur’s pre-season match against Newcastle United in Seoul. 

Chelsea has had a successful summer and pre-season, which has seen them win the Club World Cup with a 3-0 victory over Paris Saint-Germain in the final, as well as wins against Bayern Leverkusen and Atletico Madrid. The London side looks like they will be one of the teams to watch out for this season. 

First Time Fixtures

The newly promoted sides this season see some first-time meetings in the Premier League between a few sides.

Sunderland and Brentford are two sides that have never met before in the league and will for the first time at the end of August. Sunderland also has not met Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League, with their last meeting being 14 years ago. The two sides will face each other in December.

European Competitions 2025/26

This season sees the most teams compete in Europe from the Premier League, with a total of nine. 

As a result, the Premier League have warned fans that fixtures could be moved at short notice due to the number of teams involved should they reach the latter stages of any of the competitions.

Champions League:

• Liverpool

• Arsenal

• Tottenham Hotspur

• Chelsea

• Manchester City

• Manchester United

Europa League:

• Aston Villa

• Nottingham Forest

Europa Conference League:

• Crystal Palace

*Crystal Palace demoted to the Europa Conference League due to multi-club ownership rules, with Nottingham Forest taking their place in the Europa League.

Rule Changes

• 8-Second Rule

Goalkeepers holding the ball for more than eight seconds will be punished with a corner for the opposition in one of the biggest changes to the Premier League 2025/26 rules. This has been brought in to clamp down on keepers wasting time.

• Captain Rule

Only the captains of the teams will be allowed to approach referees during matches this season. The system was trialled across European competitions last season, and it is now time for it to be added to the Premier League.

• Double Kick Penalties

Double-kick penalties can be retaken if a player accidentally touches it twice. This law was used as recently as the Women’s European Championship final penalty shootout when England’s Beth Mead slipped and double-touched the ball.

Promoted Sides: Meet the Teams

Burnley

Finishing second in the Championship last season with 100 points, the highest ever total for a second-place team, Burnley FC and Scott Parker return to the Premier League following the club's relegation back in the 2023/24 season. 

Sunderland

Sunderland return to the Premier League for the first time since 2017, following a dramatic promotion play-off last season. The Black Cats will be keen to reconfirm their status as a Premier League side with a successful first season back in the big time.

Leeds United

Back in the Premier League again, it will be no easy battle for Leeds United. Following a successful transfer window over the summer, the… have certainly strengthened their side in a bid to remain in the Premier League for the long haul.

You May Also Enjoy: Best Premier League Betting Sites in the UK for 25-26

Premier League Schedule: Matchweek 1

Friday 15th August - Monday 18th August

Friday 15th August

• Liverpool v Bournemouth  - 20:00

Saturday 16th August

• Aston Villa v Newcastle United - 12:30

• Brighton & Hove Albion v Fulham - 15:00

• Sunderland v West Ham United - 15:00

• Tottenham Hotspur vs Burnley - 15:00

• Wolverhampton Wanderers v Manchester City - 17:30

Sunday 17th August

• Chelsea v Crystal Palace - 14:00

• Nottingham Forest vs Brentford - 14:00

• Manchester United v Arsenal - 16:30

Monday 18th August

• Leeds United v Everton - 20:00

Premier League Matchweek 1 Betting Tips

• Liverpool to Win - 2/7

• Aston Villa to Win - 5/4

• Fulham to Win - 3/1

• West Ham to Win - 6/5

• Tottenham to Win - 4/11

• Manchester City to Win - 4/9

• Chelsea to Win - 4/7

• Nottingham Forest to Win - 21/20

• Arsenal to Win - 19/20

• Everton to Win - 9/5

These odds have been provided by bet365 and are correct at the time of publishing (13/08/2025).

2025/26 Outright Betting Tips

The start of the season is a popular time for punters to place their outright bets on who might go ahead and win the league at the end of the season. We have taken a look at the odds on the teams that we believe are in with a chance of challenging for the title.

• Chelsea to Win the League - 15/2

• Liverpool to Win the League - 7/4

• Manchester City to Win the League - 7/2 

These odds have been provided by bet365 and are correct at the time of publishing (13/08/2025).

Responsible Gambling

It is vital that you always ensure that you are in control of your gambling habits, and the main way to do this is by utilising responsible gambling tools and services. All platforms will offer a range to customers, which can include time-outs, self-exclusions, transaction limits, game restrictions, and more. In addition, users can also check out gambling support sites and contact service providers, such as the ones listed below.

• National Gambling Helpline: 0808 8020 133

• GamCare: https://www.gamcare.org.uk

• GambleAware:https://gambleaware.org/