The Premier League returns on Friday, and after waiting for over 2 months, the action starts at Selhurst Park, where Crystal Palace would welcome Arsenal.

It’s a game that opens the gate of a unique 2022/2023 football season, which will certainly be cut in the middle by the FIFA World Cup in Qatar starting in November. It is also a season where new innovations in terms of the game’s technicalities will be introduced.

Led by Mikel Arteta and a team that has enjoyed injection in almost every department, Arsenal would hope to start their bid to return to the UEFA Champions League after missing out on the final the last season with a win at Crystal Palace led by their former skipper Patrick Vieira.

The Gunners were beaten to the final UEFA Champions League spot last season by North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur. Since then, they have brought in goalkeeper Matt Turner, Marquinhos, Portuguese midfielder Fabio Vieira and the most prominent of them all, Brazilian forward Gabriel Jesus and his former Manchester City teammate Oleksandr Zinchenko.

Meanwhile, Liverpool finished second last season but took a pound of flesh on the defending champions Manchester City with a 3-1 Victory in the Community Shield last week. Jurgen Klopp’s side brought in Darwin Nunez, and gave Diogo Jota a new contract as well as Mohammed Salah after the departure of Sadio Mane to Bayern Munich.

The Reds play promoted Fulham on Saturday afternoon, but City and their new signing Erling Haaland won’t play their first Premier League game of the season until Sunday away at West Ham United.

Manchester United will also play Brighton on Sunday, as well as Leicester City vs. Brentford.

However, Everton and Chelsea will play on Saturday evening, while other Saturday afternoon fixtures include Bournemouth against Aston Villa, Leeds v Wolves, Newcastle against promoted Nottm Forest, and Tottenham will face Southampton.

Written by: Daniel Ademiju Idowu