It seems like just yesterday we were wrapping up the EPL 2019-20 season, but here we are with the 2020-21 season on our doorstep. Matchday 1 will see eight fixtures play out from Saturday night through to Tuesday morning (AEST), and there are plenty of juicy matchups among them. Catch our full preview and betting tips for the key games of the round below and good luck to everyone following us this season!
EPL Matchday 1 Betting Tips
Fulham vs Arsenal
Craven Cottage, Saturday 9:30pm (AEST)
Fulham will be looking for a longer stay in England’s top flight this time around after a one and done appearance in 2018-19 where they finished 19th. They took the hard route back to the Premier League by battling in the Championship playoffs where they defeated Brentford in the final to gain promotion.
Arsenal failed to qualify for the Champions League for the fourth straight season on the back of their eighth placed finish last campaign. The Gunners did well in the off-season by signing Willian on a free transfer and will be hoping the purchase of Gabriel Magalhaes helps to keep things tight down back this season.
Fulham didn’t exactly set the world on fire in the Championship last season and it’s hard to see them being anything other than a relegation battler in the Premier League. While it’s also tough to trust Arsenal, we believe they can make the most of this soft season-opener with a big win away from home.
Arsenal & Over 2.5 Goals
$2.25
Liverpool vs Leeds United
Anfield, Sunday 2:30am (AEST)
Liverpool were the runaway title winners last season and will be looking to get their defence off to a winning start this campaign. You can expect more of the same from Klopp’s squad at least for the early part of the season, as there’s been no big moves to note at this stage.
Leeds United are finally back in England’s top flight after toiling away in the lower leagues since being relegated from the EPL back in the 2003-04 season. Leeds were head and shoulders above the rest of the Championship teams last season and have been very active in the transfer market to make sure it’s not a one and done season in the EPL.
As good as Leeds were in England’s second tier, coupled with their impressive signings, we still can’t see them competing with Liverpool at Anfield on Matchday 1. Liverpool’s team has been the same for a number of seasons now and they’ll prove too good for a Leeds unit that will be lacking chemistry in the early part of the season. The best value looks to be taking the champs to complete the half time/full time double.
Tottenham Hotspur vs Everton
THS, Monday 1:30am (AEST)
Tottenham are coming off a fairly poor EPL campaign where they only just managed to finish in the top six and qualify for the Europa League qualifying rounds. The Spurs will be running it back for the most part, with the exception being a little shake-up in defence.
Everton were disappointing last season where they ended up finishing in 12th, which is their worst result since their 17th placed finish back in the 2003-04 season. Management weren’t happy with their performance and have opted to make some big list changes in the off-season, highlighted by the signings of James Rodriguez from Real Madrid, Allan from Napoli, and Doucoure from Watford.
The Toffees have certainly improved their squad this season, at least on paper, but it’s suspected that their new signings won’t be available for the season-opener. As a result, Tottenham should have the clear advantage in this matchup and we’re expecting them to get the job done at decent odds.
