Finally we are back!
While the Copa America and European Championship helped to ease some of
the withdraw that usually sets in during the long summer months, we can once
again focus our full attention back across the Atlantic as Matchday 1 of the
Barclay’s Premier League officially gets underway this weekend. With a full slate of games and some
mouthwatering early season matchups in store, be sure to set that alarm for bright
and early Saturday morning and catch every game, all weekend long, live on the
NBC family of networks or online at NBC Live Extra.
Saturday (all times eastern)
10am - Tottenham @
Everton – Goodison Park, NBC Sports Network
Tottenham will hope to finally be rid of the bitter taste
that has lingered in their mouths all summer long since the 5-1 drubbing they
received on the final weekend last season from the now relegated Newcastle
United, which allowed Arsenal to enjoy bragging rights all summer long as Spurs
finished below their arch rivals for the twenty-first consecutive season, when
they travel to Goodison Park to kick off the new campaign against an Everton
side who similarly will be hoping to kick the new year off on a much better foot
than where they left last season.
After successive 11th place finishes, their
lowest finish in the table over the last nine years, manager Roberto Martinez
was shown the door with Ronald Koeman, who guided Southampton to 6th
place and their highest finish ever in the League last year, now calling the
shots. It could be a difficult opening
act for the Dutchman in front of the Goodison faithful, with Everton winless in
their last seven League meetings against Spurs (D4 L3) and without starting
center back John Stones who, after years of transfer speculation, finally made
the big money move to Manchester City only three days ago.
Sunday (all times eastern)
11am - Liverpool @
Arsenal – Emirates Stadium, NBC Sports Network
The Sunday slate concludes with two teams that both believe
they will have what it takes to be sitting top of the table come the end of May,
when Liverpool visit Arsenal in the opening weekend’s marquee matchup at the
Emirates Stadium. Arsenal were top at
the New Year last season but an inconsistent second half, with injuries once
again exposing a lack of depth throughout the squad, left them well off of
Leicester’s title winning pace, while Liverpool grew as the year went along, thriving
after Jurgen Klopp took over for Brendan Rodgers in October, reaching both the
Capital One Cup and Europa League finals.
The Gunners have lost just one of their last nine League
meetings (W4 D4) and one of their last sixteen encounters at the Emirates with Liverpool
(W8 D7), but find themselves in all too familiar territory with injuries and a
lack of cover in the squad leaving them dangerously shorthanded, particularly
on the backline, where they are likely to feature a makeshift center back
pairing with Per Mertesacker and Gabriel missing out on the early season clash
through injury and Laurent Koscileny on the sidelines as he works his way back
to game fitness following his extended participation with France at EURO 2016.
Monday (all times eastern)
3pm - West Ham United
@ Chelsea – Stamford Bridge, NBC Sports Network
The Monday Night Football (er...Monday afternoon?) card kicks
off with a London Derby, when West Ham United travel across town to take on
Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. West Ham and manager Slaven Bilic will be
eager to prove that last season’s 7th place finish and subsequent
Europa League qualification was no fluke, while Antonio Conte will take charge
of his first game for the Blues after taking over this summer following
Chelsea’s tumultuous and often tortuous campaign last season, with their tenth
place finish and fifty point haul officially the most inept title defense in
Premier League history.
Conte, whose managerial resume includes more than successful
stints with Italian giants Juventus and the Italian national team, becomes the
twelfth big name manager to step into the firing line at Chelsea since Roman
Abramovich took over thirteen years ago in 2003. He will look to restore the Blues to the top
tier of the table and will have to like his chances of impressing his new boss
in his debut, with Chelsea unbeaten in their last seventeen opening day matches
(W14 D3) and, in a streak dating back to 2002, their last ten League meetings
with the Hammers (W7 D3) at Stamford Bridge.