The best league in the world kicks off this weekend. Defending champions Manchester City are once again favourites, but how will Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United fare? Can Newcastle maintain their good form?

Start of the Premier League

The long wait is over! The new Premier League season kicks off next Friday (11/08/2023). The kick-off will see newly promoted Burnley FC take on champions Manchester City. It will be an extraordinary match, especially for Burnley manager Vincent Kompany. The Belgian spent a total of 11 years in charge of the Sky Blues. Here at Gamblejoe, we take a look at the opening day of the season, as well as predicting which teams will finish at the top and bottom of the Premier League table this seas

Outlook for the 1st matchday

We can look forward to the odd banger. London's Gunners host Nottingham Forest on Saturday. The big game is undoubtedly Chelsea vs. Liverpool on Sunday at 17:30 GMT. As well as valuable information on the teams, Premier League betting odds and current form, we also have our betting recommendations.

Burnley FC vs. Manchester City - 11.08.2023 at 21:00

Burnley are celebrating their return to the top flight after a dominant season in the English Championship. They have little in common with their next opponents, Manchester City. The reigning Premier League and Champions League winners are arguably enjoying their best period in club history. Players such as Erling Haaland, Bernardo Silva and goalkeeper Ederson are working like clockwork. Most recently, Kyle Walker, who is being courted by Bayern, has confirmed his intentions to stay.

But all that glitters is not gold. Playmaker Kevin De Bruyne is struggling with a niggling muscle injury and is likely to miss out. Strategist İlkay Gündoğan has left for Barcelona and new signing Josko Gvardiol is also out. As a result, their pre-season preparations have been a little thin.

But do we really think Man City will struggle at Burnley? We say no. Firstly, there are the statistics. City have won all their last five games against Burnley (goal difference 17-0) and Burnley have not had a good pre-season either.

We expect the newly promoted side to be motivated and physical. If Burnley don't score early, we expect Manchester City to win comfortably. If you want to take less risk, you can back a win without a handicap.

Our bet: Manchester City to win (-1) - Bet at Home odds 1.85

Arsenal London vs Nottingham Forest - 12.08.2023 at 13:30

The Gunners had a strong campaign last season and proved to be a serious challenger to Manchester City for almost 38 games. For this season, they have brought in three quality players in Declan Rice from West Ham United, Kai Havertz from Chelsea London and Jurrien Timber from Ajax Amsterdam. The cost is around 231.60 million euros, insane! The only thing that stands in the way of this is the departure of Granit Xhaka to Leverkusen. The first game of the season is against Nottingham Forest, a team that almost went down last season. Although Steve Cooper's side improved towards the end of the season, Forest's aim this season is to stay up. It is no surprise, then, that Arsenal are the big favourites in Saturday's head-to-head. And we have no qualms about backing them. As the odds of over 1.19 are a little short, we recommend backing goals. Arsenal are known for their fast, technical and attacking football under coach Mikel Arteta.

We expect Arsenal London to take control of the game from the first minute and do everything they can to score an early goal. If Arteta's side can do that, we see the Londoners as the clear winners of this clash.

Our bet: Over 2.5 goals - NeoBet odds 1.43

Chelsea FC vs Liverpool FC - 13/08/2023 at 17:30

The first real clash of the season takes place this Sunday at Stamford Bridge in London. Both Chelsea FC and the Reds have made big changes in the summer transfer window. Both teams are undergoing a much-needed overhaul. Chelsea have sold almost half of their squad. The likes of Kai Havertz, Mason Mount, Kovacic, Pulisic, Mendy and N'Golo Kante have all moved on. Liverpool are no different. Past Champions League winners Fabinho, Roberto Firmino and Jordan Henderson have all headed for the desert.

The changes in the squad make it all the more difficult to predict how the game will go. As we are sure that both Jürgen Klopp and new Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino will play attacking football, we recommend a goal bet. Top new signing Christopher Nkunku will not be available. The former Leipzig man injured his knee a few days ago and will be out for the next few weeks. Liverpool, on the other hand, have a full-strength line-up.

Our prediction: Both teams to score at least once, Yes - Bet-at-home odds 1.52

Review - How the past season went

There was a lot on offer last season, especially at the top of the table. For weeks, Arsenal and Manchester City were locked in a neck-and-neck battle. The Gunners' start to the season was particularly impressive. They won 10 of their first 11 games. Eventual champions Manchester City got off to a bumpy start, losing to Brentford FC among others. By the 30th matchday, Arsenal looked set to win their first league title since the glory days of Arsène Wenger and Thierry Henry, but it was not to be. Three draws and a 4-1 defeat at the hands of the ever-improving Citizens saw them relinquish their lead.

Alongside Arsenal, Brighton & Hove Albion were the revelation of the season. De Zerbi's side finished on a strong 62 points and will be in the Europa League this year. Manchester United and Newcastle finished third and fourth respectively to secure Champions League football. At the same time, this means that the reigning champions (611.49 million in the 22/23 season) Chelsea FC will not be playing in the European Cup. Chelsea had a season to forget, finishing twelfth under caretaker manager Frank Lampard. Among other things, the Blues paid 121.00 million for Enzo Fernández, 70 million for Mykhaylo Mudryk and 65.30 million for Marc Cucurella. It was all for nothing.

Only Southampton FC, Leeds United and Leicester City were relegated, and the mood was probably as bad as in the posh Chelsea district.

At the end of the season, the table was as follows:

1. Manchester City
2. FC Arsenal
3. Manchester United
4. Newcastle United
5. FC Liverpool
6. Brighton & Hove Albion
7. Aston Villa
8. Tottenham Hotspur
9. FC Brentford
10. FC Fulham
11. Crystal Palace
12. FC Chelsea
13. Wolverhampton Wanderers
14. West Ham United
15. AFC Bournemouth
16. Nottingham Forest
17. FC Everton
18. Leicester City
19. Leeds United
20. FC Southampton

Title and relegation favourites

Which team will win the league? Who will be the top scorer and which three teams will have to make the bitter journey down to the second tier? These and other questions are answered in this section.

The first contenders for the league title are undoubtedly Manchester City. The Sky Blues have dominated the Premier League for several years now. City have lifted the trophy five times in the last six seasons. Only Liverpool have been able to challenge them once in the 2020 campaign. The bookmakers agree, with Bet365 offering odds of 1.72 and Bet-at-home offering odds of over 1.68. For all their optimism, however, City will need to replace captain Ilkay Gündoğan. Gündoğan joined Barcelona in the summer. The fans are positive, which is understandable from our point of view, because Pep Guardiola has always been able to replace key players.

If Manchester City stumble, we see Arsenal London as the first to follow. Arsenal's typically attractive brand of football was revived under Arteta, but the Gunners ran out of steam towards the end of the season. Bet365 and bet-at-home are currently offering odds of around 6.00.

Unlike the domestic Bundesliga, we see more than just one or two teams in the extended circle of title contenders. The likes of Liverpool, Manchester United and Chelsea are all in the mix.

For all three clubs, it will be down to their coaches to integrate the new signings and build a formidable side. Newcastle United should be mentioned almost in the same breath. The nouveau riche outfit from the north of England enjoyed an outstanding season last term and will be playing in the Champions League for the first time. Sandro Tonali (£64m), Harvey Barnes (£44m) and Tino Livramento (£37.2m) have all been added to the Newcastle squad. Further transfers cannot be ruled out. The only notable departures are Allan Saint-Maximin and Chris Wood.

Given the quality of the league's attackers, several players could be considered top scorers were it not for Manchester City's Erling Haaland. Arguably the best attacker in the world today, he scored 36 Premier League goals in 35 games last season. Barring injury, he looks set to be the man to beat this season. Over the next few weeks, betting companies will be offering odds on who will be the next top scorer.

At the bottom of the table, it is inevitable that newcomers Luton Town, Sheffield United and Burnley will all be fighting to stay in the division. They are joined in the relegation battle by Nottingham, Bournemouth, Everton and Crystal Palace. It should be noted, however, that all teams still have the opportunity to strengthen their squads before the end of the transfer window.

What makes the Premier League the best league in the world?

A look at the most valuable teams in Europe shows just how valuable the Premier League is. Only four of the world's twelve most valuable clubs are not based in England. The top three are Manchester City (1.25 billion squad value), Arsenal London (1.20 billion squad value) and Paris Saint-Germain (1.06 billion squad value).

Another reason for the Premier League's appeal is the English style of play. The English game is traditionally more physical and faster than any other league.

The Premier League as we know it today has been in existence since 1992. Over the years, the Premier League has managed to market itself skilfully and generate billions of dollars in revenue, which is shared among the clubs, with even teams relegated from the Premier League receiving millions several seasons later. This does not necessarily make the best league in the world cheap for fans and sympathisers. Ticket prices and TV subscriptions are among the highest in the world.

TV broadcast in Germany

Unlike English football fans, we don't have to dig quite as deep into our pockets in Germany, but only if you take out a subscription. You have the option of taking out a Sky subscription and watching the games as a stream or on Sky Go.

You also have the option of subscribing to the Premier League via streaming channel WOW. WOW broadcasts all 380 matches, 232 live and 148 delayed. Prices range from €24.99 to €29.99. There is currently no cheaper alternative.

Which team is favourite to win the 2023/24 Premier League title?

Manchester City are once again favourites for this year's title. Coach Pep Guardiola's side have been playing brilliantly for years, and last season they won every title that was up for grabs. Manchester City also have the best striker in the world in Erling Haaland.

Where can I watch the Premier League on TV?

The Premier League is also available on WOW in addition to Sky Germany. Both subscriptions cost around 30 euros a month. WOW in particular requires a stable internet connection as it is a streaming provider. Sky can still be received via satellite or cable.

Can we expect surprises?

In general, surprises can never be ruled out, but a championship similar to the one Leicester City won in 2016 is highly unlikely. Anything other than another City league title would be a surprise in the broadest sense. Teams like Arsenal, Liverpool or Manchester United are qualitatively capable of a season of 85-90 points.