The FanSided soccer staff make their picks ahead of the first weekend of the Premier League season, which kicks off Friday.
The Premier League returns this Friday, as Arsenal face Leicester at the Emirates. The Gunners are looking to return to the top four after missing out last year for the first time in over two decades under Arsene Wenger. They will take on a Foxes side with a new full-time manager at the helm, Craig Shakespeare, who was offered the job based on his work after taking over for Claudio Ranieri last season.
On Saturday, Chelsea kick off their title defense with a home match against Burnley. Antonio Conte’s side will be without their star player, Eden Hazard, as he continues to recover from an ankle injury sustained during Belgium training at the beginning of summer.
Manchester City and Liverpool also play Saturday, against Watford and newly-promoted Brighton, respectively, while Manchester United and Tottenham both start on Sunday. Jose Mourinho’s side play West Ham at Old Trafford, while Spurs travel to play Newcastle in what is perhaps the most interesting game of the weekend.
FanSided’s soccer staff will be competing in a weekly picks league all season. The rules are simple: three points for a correct score, one for a correct result and none for an incorrect score.
Next: Premier League 2017-18 season preview
The first week of the season is always one of the hardest to predict, but our writers have a lot of confidence in the top six. Nine of 10 writers picked Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea to win, and eight picked Manchester City, though Jasper thinks Brighton could spring a shock in their first Premier League match.
Manchester United and Tottenham, who both play on Sunday, inspire less confidence. Jose Mourinho’s negative tactics clearly don’t sit well, as four writers predicted United to draw at Old Trafford. As for Spurs, Jake, Michael and Dan think they’ll draw, while Peter expects Newcastle to run out winners in their first game back in the Premier League.