English Premier League champions Leicester City start their title defence this afternoon at promoted Hull City as the big game of the opening weekend sees Arsenal host Liverpool tomorrow.
Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola will not have to wait long to meet as they lead their new clubs – Manchester United and Manchester City respectively – in a derby clash at Old Trafford on September 10.
West Ham’s first league match at their new Olympic Stadium home will be against Bournemouth today week.
Hull, the Tigers, are still without a manager after Steve Bruce left the club last month for not being given enough cash to strengthen the side.
In pre-season Leicester showed encouraging signs but in the season curtain-raiser the Foxes went down 1-2 to Manchester United in the Community Shield match, at Wembley, last week.
Like all other teams in the Premier League, Arsenal and Liverpool are still scrutinising the market to add to their squads before the window closes at the end of the month.
At the Emirates last season, the Gunners were held to a 0-0 draw by the Reds and in the return at Anfield another draw was registered – 3-3.
The Gunners are in the midst of a full-blown defensive crisis after Gabriel was stretchered off against Manchester City in a friendly last week.
Juergen Klopp said Marko Grujic’s injury is ‘nothing serious’ after the midfielder was forced off against Mainz in a friendly with an ankle problem.
Last week, 89,845 watched Liverpool impress as they beat Spanish giants Barcelona 4-0 at Wembley.
Manchester United travel south to play guests to Bournemouth at the Goldsands Stadium.
Mourinho has defended the reported £89m transfer fee United paid for Paul Pogba but did admit football has become ‘crazy’.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who won 14 league titles in seasons, rose above Leicester’s Wes Morgan late on at Wembley to head home and add the Community Shield to his impressive collection.
At the Etihad Stadium, Manchester City cross swords with Sunderland.
Both sides have changed coaches this summer, Guardiola took over at City while David Moyes replaced new England manager Sam Allardyce at the Stadium of Light.
Moyes believes his experience makes him the perfect candidate to ensure Sunderland do not suffer relegation. He signed Papy Djilobodji from Chelsea for £8m on a four-year deal, one year after the Senegal defender joined the Blues.
The first London derby of the season will be the duel between Chelsea and West Ham at Stamford Bridge on Monday. Last season the Blues gathered four points at the expense of the Hammers – a draw at home and a win away.
Chelsea, now under the charge of former Italy coach Antonio Conte, completed their pre-season friendlies with a 4-2 victory against German side Werder Bremen.
Chelsea will have some of the most expensive seats in the Premier League this season with their cheapest match-day ticket costing nearly six times more than the equivalent ones at Hull City.
Following the 0-1 upset to Espanyol at home in Everton’s final pre-season friendly, new Toffees manager Ronald Koeman said he was pretty upbeat about his team’s chances this season as they host Tottenham in today’s opener.
Weekend fixtures in UK...
Premier League
Burnley-Swansea
Crystal Palace-West Brom
Everton-Tottenham
Hull City-Leicester City - 13:30
Man. City-Sunderland - 18:30
Middlesbrough-Stoke
Southampton-Watford
Tomorrow:
Arsenal-Liverpool - 17:00
Bournemouth-Man. United - 14:30
Monday:
Chelsea-West Ham - 21:00
The Championship
Aston Villa-Rotherham
Barnsley-Derby County
Brentford-Ipswich
Burton-Bristol City
Leeds-Birmingham
Newcastle-Huddersfield
Norwich-Sheffield Wed. - 18:30
Preston-Fulham
Wigan-Blackburn Rovers
Wolves-Reading
Tomorrow:
Cardiff City-QPR - 16:00
League One
AFC Wimbledon-Bolton
Charlton-Northampton
Chesterfield-Swindon
Coventry-Shrewsbury
Fleetwood-Scunthorpe
Gillingham-Bury
MK Dons-Millwall
Oldham-Walsall
Peterborough-Bradford
Port Vale-Southend
Sheffield Utd-Rochdale
Tomorrow:
Bristol Rovers-Oxford - 16:00
League Two
Barnet-Accrington
Carlisle-Plymouth Argyle
Colchester-Cambridge
Crewe-Portsmouth
Doncaster-Crawley
Exeter-Hartlepool
Leyton Orient-Newport
Luton Town-Yeovil
Mansfield-Cheltenham
Morecambe-Blackpool
Notts County-Stevenage
Wycombe-Grimsby
Scottish Premiership
Aberdeen-Hearts
Dundee-Rangers - 13:15
Hamilton-Kilmarnock
Inverness-Ross County
Motherwell-St Johnstone
Scottish Championship
Dumbarton-Dundee Utd
Hibernian-Dunfermline
Morton-Falkirk
Queen of South-Ayr United
Raith Rovers-St Mirren
League One
Airdrieonians-Livingston
Albion Rovers-Brechin City
Peterhead-East Fife
Stenhousemuir-Queen’s Park
Stranraer-Alloa Athletic
League Two
Berwick-Annan Athletic
Elgin City-Edinburgh City
Forfar-Cowdenbeath
Montrose-Arbroath
Stirling Albion-Clyde
Note: Kick-offs 16.00 unless stated.