The English Premier League is going to kickstart on August 9. The 2019-20 version of one of the most coveted football tournaments will see Liverpool taking on Norwich City for the opener at Anfield. Other heavyweight teams like last season's champion Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur will take the field against West Ham United and Aston Villa respectively.
PREVIEW, PREDICTION AND SCHEDULE
Liverpool vs Norwich City
Defending Champions League winners and last year's English Premier League runners-up Liverpool will start their campaign, riding high on confidence, against Norwich City at Anfield. The Reds had an average pre-season campaign and lost to Manchester City in the Community Shield on penalties. But with the inclusion of James Milner and Sadio Mane in their ranks and with Mo Salah and Roberto Firmino at the front, they are expected to turn Anfield red in the opener of the tournament. On the other hand Norwich will hope for an upset.
The Reds are clearly the favourites to win the match as they have got the most composed team in the English Premier League. It is likely to be a cakewalk for them at home.
The Liverpool-Norwich City match will start at 7 PM local time and 12.30 AM IST on August 10.
West Ham United vs Manchester City
Defending Premier League champions Manchester City will take on West Ham United at the London stadium on the second day of the first week of the league. The champions from the last two years will aim for a hattrick this season and for that they need a perfect start. The Pep Guardiola-managed outfit will miss the services of German winger Leroy Sane and Benjamin Mendy in the first few matches of the league but they have got enough firepower to get them through easily.
On the other hand West Ham United are not an easy prey for the Sky Blues as the Hammers have brilliant players like Issa Diop and Manuel Lanzini in their squad. The east London-based team can turn out to be a major threat for the defending champions.
City are expected to thump their opponents but the Hammers wont be that easy to beat in their backyard. It will a close encounter with City having an edge over the hosts.
The West Ham-Manchester City game will start at 11.30 AM local time and 5 PM IST on August 10.
Tottenham Hotspur vs Aston Villa
Last year's Champions League runners-up Tottenham Hotspur were one of the busiest among the Premier League teams during the transfer season. They signed players like Lo Celso, Tanguy Ndombele and Ryan Sessegnon to add to their arsenal. Spurs will be looking forward to atleast a top-three finish this season.
In their first game against visitors Aston Villa, they will miss the services of Sessegnon due to an injury and Lo Celso will probably come in as replacement. On the other hand Villa, who are playing the premier division football after three seasons, will want to start their campaign on a high note.
The Lilywhites are expected to have it easy against their much weaker opponents. Spurs are expected to win by a massive margin.
The Tottenham Hotspur-Aston Villa match will start at 4.30 PM local time and 10 PM IST on August 10.
Other fixtures on day 2:
Bournemouth vs Sheffield United will start at 2 PM local time and 7.30 PM IST.
Burnley vs. Southampton will start at 2 PM local time and 7.30 PM IST.
Crystal Palace vs. Everton will start at 2 PM local time and 7.30 PM IST.
Watford vs. Brighton & Hove Albion will start at 2 PM local time and 7.30 PM IST.
Where to watch and live streaming in India:
The broadcasting rights of the EPL are with the Star group in India. The matches will be broadcasted on Star Sports Select 1 and Star Sports Select HD. Live straming can be accessed in India on Hotstar app.
