Roll on round two this weekend, as the second matchweek of the brand new English Premier League season plays out between Friday and Monday.
There’s always a bit of magic dust sprinkled over the contest between Newcastle and Liverpool, with the pair going head-to-head at St James’ Park for the Monday night EPL fixture.
It’s an early collision for the duo on Tyneside, with those of a certain age fondly remembering a mid-1990s spell of all-time classic Premier League games between them.
Back in the here and now, it’s a first assignment away from Anfield for Arne Slot’s reigning champions, who opened up with an ultimately comfortable 4-2 win on the opening night that was harder faught than the scoreline suggests.
With the Reds set to take the role of principal villans as the future of wantaway star Alexander Isak dominates conversation in the north east, it’s also a chance for Eddie Howe’s side to stick one on their Merseyside visitors.
Friday night’s weekend opener has plenty of needle build in, too, as Chelsea go to West Ham.
It’s a London derby with plenty resting on it as both clubs attempt to set a positive early tone, with the Blues having been pegged back at Stamford Bridge last weekend, while ex-boss Graham Potter endured a grim 3-0 loss on the road.
Manchester City and Tottenham kick off Saturday’s EPL programme with the lunchtime match.
The pair meet at the Etihad Stadium having both come through the opening weekend as comfortable winners, providing hope to City chief Pep Guardiola following his summer reset and a welcome start to life in the north of the capital for Spurs boss Thomas Frank.
Something will also have to give at the Emirates Stadium in the late kick off, as Arsenal tackle promoted Leeds.
Mikel Arteta’s Gunners are up and running as they attempt to scale the mountain and go one better than the agony of second place in the final reckoning, while their Yorkshire visitors claimed a first scalp since returning to the top flight at the first attempt at a raucous Elland Road on Monday night.
It was Manchester United that failed to resist the north Londoners at Old Trafford a week ago, continuing their grim league form under Portuguese coach Ruben Amorim.
The consensus suggested an improved performance from his revamped side, though, with a trip to Fulham the Red Devils’ next task on Sunday afternoon.
Craven Cottage is the venue and the fallen giants from the north west will need to be on their mettle against Amorim’s countryman Marco Silva, who rescued a last-gasp point in their Premier League opener.
Everton make history a little earlier in the afternoon when they play competitive football at Bramley-Moore Dock – or the Hill Dickinson Stadium if you’re feeling corporate – for the first time.
Brighton are the tricky visitors to the banks of the Mersey, with veteran home boss David Moyes needing a reaction after his charges underwhelmed last Monday in defeat at Leeds.
Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest complete Sunday’s trio of EPL games.
They meet at Selhurst Park following a summer of sideswiping as multi-ownership regulations scuppered the FA Cup-winning Eagles’ place in the Uefa Europa League.
Forest instead have been awarded that privilege, with the south London club dumped into the Conference League, just to add a little spice to this early meeting between two sides looking to repeat their continental tilts of last season.
Brentford look to be up against it to achieve similar having lost coach Frank, several influential staff and a couple of star players since May.
Their struggles away to Forest on the opening weekend won’t have helped the sudden pessimism around what has been such an on-the-rise club of late, with Aston Villa the visitors to west London this Saturday.
Promoted pair Burnley and Sunderland face an early test of their respective summer transfer business since escaping the Championship.
It’s the Black Cats who made a dream start in front of an ecstatic Stadium of Light crowd, swatting West Ham aside with three goals to stake a survival claim following a bundle of new arrivals on Wearside since winning the play-off final at Wembley Stadium.
Not so much action in north Lancashire, with the Clarets well beaten at Spurs a week ago.
Bournemouth and Wolves might be nervous, too, with their Vitality Stadium clash pitting together two sides predicted to be at the wrong end of the table come May.
Few can blame impressive Cherries coach Andoni Iraola, who has seen his successful squad from last season ransacked over the summer, while their visitors didn’t dispel many concerns in the Black Country as they subsided 0-4 to Manchester City.
Fixtures and results
Latest table
All latest EPL Predictions
West Ham United v Chelsea
| Result Prediction | West Ham United to win |
| Over/Under | Under 2.5 goals |
| HT / FT | West Ham / West Ham |
| Teams to Score | Both teams |
| Anytime Goalscorer | J. Bowen (West Ham) |
Manchester City v Tottenham Hotspur
| Result Prediction | Manchester City to win |
| Over/Under | Over 2.5 goals |
| HT / FT | Man City / Man City |
| Teams to Score | Both teams |
| Anytime Goalscorer | E. Haaland (Man City) |
Burnley v Sunderland
| Result Prediction | Draw |
| Over/Under | Under 2.5 goals |
| HT / FT | Draw / Draw |
| Teams to Score | Both teams |
| Anytime Goalscorer | N/A |
Brentford v Aston Villa
| Result Prediction | Brentford to win |
| Over/Under | Over 2.5 goals |
| HT / FT | Brentford / Brentford |
| Teams to Score | Both teams |
| Anytime Goalscorer | K. Schade (Brentford) |
AFC Bournemouth v Wolverhampton Wanderers
| Result Prediction | AFC Bournemouth to win |
| Over/Under | Under 2.5 goals |
| HT / FT | Draw / AFC Bournemouth |
| Teams to Score | Both teams |
| Anytime Goalscorer | A. Semenyo (AFC Bournemouth) |
Arsenal v Leeds United
| Result Prediction | Arsenal to win |
| Over/Under | Under 2.5 goals |
| HT / FT | Draw / Arsenal |
| Teams to Score | Both teams |
| Anytime Goalscorer | N/A |
Crystal Palace v Nottingham Forest
| Result Prediction | Draw |
| Over/Under | Over 2.5 goals |
| HT / FT | Draw / Draw |
| Teams to Score | Both teams |
| Anytime Goalscorer | E. Eze (Crystal Palace), C. Wood (Nottingham Forest) |
Everton v Brighton & Hove Albion
| Result Prediction | Brighton & Hove Albion to win |
| Over/Under | Over 2.5 goals |
| HT / FT | Everton / Brighton |
| Teams to Score | Both teams |
| Anytime Goalscorer | J. Hinshelwood (Brighton) |
Fulham v Manchester United
| Result Prediction | Draw |
| Over/Under | Under 2.5 goals |
| HT / FT | Fulham / Draw |
| Teams to Score | Both teams |
| Anytime Goalscorer | N/A |
Newcastle United v Liverpool
| Result Prediction | Liverpool to win |
| Over/Under | Over 2.5 goals |
| HT / FT | Liverpool / Liverpool |
| Teams to Score | Both teams |
| Anytime Goalscorer | N/A |