25/26 Match Week 1 Preview

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WELCOME TO THE 2025/26 Season!

As a reminder, the CS will be back to our regular Tuesday/Friday schedule.

• What 2 Look 4 👀 

• Headlines 📌

• Hot Topic 🔥🔥🔥- Promotion

• Off Island 🏝️ - Bingo

• Best Bets 💰

What 2 Look 4 👀- Match Week 1

(reminder - like driving on the other side of the road, in the PL, HOME teams are listed first)

• 1.5.4.1 Week. 1 Friday, 5 Saturday, 3 Sunday, 1 Monday.

Match of the Week

• Man United +259 v Arsenal +100 SUN 1030a - Great opening match! Arsenal are “gunning” for the title as they are coming off their third straight second place finish. United are looking to right a ship waaaaay off course. The Gunners are the better team on paper going in, but a road trip to Old Trafford is a tough test.

Promoted Teams

• Tottenham -272 v Burnley +756 SAT 9a - If these two sides follow their recent styles of play this one will be a contrast of styles. The attacking and pressing of Spurs against the defensive minded Clarets. Lots of injuries for Spurs, and a busy week playing PSG on Wednesday, could also contribute to a lack of focus and will be a challenge for Thomas Frank to get the side ready. Parker should have Burnley ready.

• Sunderland +213 v West Ham +127 SAT 9a - Has been 8 years since The Black Cats have been in the PL and the Stadium of Light will be “electric”. The home fans will need a program to learn the names of their teams players as Sunderland spent over $125M over the summer and will have basically a new starting eleven. The Hammers are coming in with more stability but it will be a tough road test.

• Leeds +149 v Everton +184 MON 2p - The Whites are unbeaten in their last 20 home matches at Elland Road. Everton have not lost to Leeds in 5 meetings. If preseason means anything then this should be a highly competitive match as both sides went 3W 1D 1L in the lead up to the season.

Spicy Matchups

• Villa +127 v Newcastle +197 SAT 630a - Lots of key players missing this one, unusual for an opening match. No Emi for Villa as he is suspended for his red card. No Isak for Newcastle as he is holding out for a transfer. In addition, there are injuries for both sides. Villa will be without Rogers and Barkley, Newcastle without Willock, Gordon and Botman.

• BHA-109 v Fulham +284 SAT 9a - FFC plays BHA tough, losing just 1 in their last 10. 3 of the last 5 matches at the Amex have been draws. Both sides enter the season looking for top 10 finishes.

• Chelsea -176 v Palace +446 SUN 8a - LONDON DERBY (West v South) - Tough opening match for both sides. Both come in with a lot of momentum from the summer as they have each won 2 cups and are playing well.

Europe Quality Clubs On Upset Alert

• Liverpool -345 v Bournemouth +788 FRI 2p cst - Emotions will be high as the Reds will honor the memory of Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva in a memorial ceremony, Banners will be raised for last year’s PL title and Bournemouth players will form a “guard of honor” for Liverpool which is traditional for the title holders in their opening match. Can the Red’s focus on the match or will they get caught up in the emotion.

• Wolves +488 v Man City -196 SAT 1130a - Should be a lay-up for City, right? Nothing is easy on opening day. Not a lot of love for Wolves heading into the season and you can be sure Vitor Pereira will use that as motivation for his side at Molineaux.

• Forest +108 v Brentford +253 SUN 8a - The Tree’s limped home to the finish last season while The Bee’s limped thru the summer. Keith Andrews will be managing his first match, not just for Bee’s, but ever. Heading to City Ground will not be easy.

Headlines 📌

• Moment of Silence. To commemorate Diogo Jota’s death all Premier League matches will have a moment of silence prior to the match. Jota, the Liverpool star, and his brother were killed in a car accident over the summer.

• Welcome to the League. The three recently promoted clubs .

  • Burnley have the “toughest” opening match as they head to North London to take on Spurs.

  • Leeds open at home and are favored to win against Everton on “Monday Night Football”.

  • Sunderland open at home and are slight underdogs to West Ham.

• Manager Movement. Just 2 new managers top start the season.

  • Thomas Frank - Spurs (left Brentford)

  • Keith Andrews - Brentford (was set piece coach at Brentford)

• Expect Changes. Transfer window still open. Just a reminder, the transfer window remains open for two more week, so what you see on the pitch this weekend is nowhere near the finished product for these clubs.

• Palace in the News.

  • On the heels of Crystal Palace celebrating their Community Shield victory over Liverpool last weekend the Eagles heard that their appeal was denied and they would be playing in the UEFA Conference League this season.

  • Palace had earned their way into the Europa League, but since the ownership of Palace has another club in the EL (Lyon), and that breaks the Multi-Club Ownership rules say ownership cannot have two clubs in the same European competition, they were moved to the league below.

Hot Topic 🔥🔥🔥

In the 1973-74 season promotion to the top league went from 2 to 3 teams. Since then, no season saw all promoted clubs relegated immediately the next season until the 1997 season. In fact, this has only happened THREE times - 1997 and the last two seasons, 2024 and 2025.

In contrast, all three promoted teams have stayed up the following season FOUR times. The last being 2023.

Can Burnley, Leeds and/or Sunderland break this trend.

Off Island 🏝️

Interesting numbers - in Euro’s ($1 = 1.16 Euro’s).

• 6 PLE clubs in the top 10

• Who would’ve had Sunderland on their bingo card coming in at #6.

• Given how the Saudi League spends, kinda surprised they only have 1 on the list.

• But, here’s a good reminder that club spend does not always translate to winning.

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Best Bets 💰

Season 1 of the CS finished up, Season 2 finished down.

Up is more fun than down.

CleanSheet Season Gains/Losses: Starting Balance $1000. Current Standing $1,000.

Forest to Win v Brentford +108. $20

Just don’t have confidence in the Set Piece coach who is now leading the Bee’s to go into City Ground and get a result.

Liverpool to win by >1.5 goals v Bournemouth -131. $26

The Red’s handle all the emotion of the night and drill a Cherrie’s side that will need time to get their defense situated. This one ends 3-0 or 3-1 Liverpool.

Aston Villa to win v Newcastle +123. $20

Just don’t trust the Magpies to handle the injuries and the Isak situation well. Too many distractions. Give me the home team.

Man United to Win v Arsenal +255. $10

Gunners are the better side but something tells me Amorim will have United ready in the opening match so while I could see this being a draw I like getting the bigger “+” odds.

Strange things happen on opening day in the Premier League - so these are some strange picks.

• Burnley to win at Spurs +670. $5

• Wolves to win v City +460. $5

• Palace to win at Chelsea +410. $5