West Bromwich Albion vs Leicester City
The Hawthornes, West Bromwich
Sunday, 13-09-2020 @4pm
Ref: Anthony Taylor
West Brom make their latest return to the Premier League after a decent run that saw them finish second in the Championship.
Their opening fixture will be a relatively hard one as they host a Leicester City side that finished 5th last season.
West Brom have won only one of their past seven matches against Leicester, which have all been in the Premier League. There has not been a home victory in any of the eight Premier League meetings (six away wins, two draws). The Foxes could earn a club record fifth successive top-flight away win against a single opponent. The only previous meeting on the opening weekend of a top-flight campaign was in 1963-64 when they drew 1-1 at The Hawthorns.
West Brom could be without Conor Townsend and Kenneth Zohore because of calf and ankle problems respectively. New signing Callum Robinson is available after his move from Sheffield United was completed in midweek.
Leicester’s Daniel Amartey, Christian Fuchs, James Maddison and Wes Morgan face fitness tests. Filip Benkovic and Ricardo Pereira remain on the sidelines, while Jonny Evans is suspended due to his red card on the final day of last season.
West Brom have been relegated in four of their 12 previous Premier League campaigns, second only to Norwich City’s tally of five. The Baggies have won their opening league match of the season in three of the past four seasons. Matheus Pereira provided 16 league assists in 2019-20, second only to Kevin De Bruyne’s 20 in England’s top four divisions.
After collecting 24 points in an eight-game winning run between October and December 2019, Leicester only earned the same number of points in their final 22 league matches of the 2019-20 season. The Foxes have won their opening match in only two of their 14 Premier League campaigns: 1-0 against Aston Villa in 1997-98 and 4-2 versus Sunderland in 2015-16. They have failed to win any of the six matches they have played against newly-promoted sides on the opening weekend of a top-flight season. Harvey Barnes scored nine goals in 26 Championship appearances during a loan spell at West Brom in the first half of the 2018-19 season.
Tottenham Hotspur vs Everton
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London
Sunday, 13-09-2020 @7:30pm
Ref: Martin Atkinson
Tottenham and Everton will get their season underway at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
After the signing made by the Toffees, this promises to be one hell of a clash.
Tottenham have won 27 Premier League matches versus Everton, more than against any other opponent. The Toffees have won just three of their 28 away Premier League matches against Spurs, with all three victories coming in consecutive seasons between 2006-07 and 2008-09. Tottenham are unbeaten in 15 Premier League meetings. They have only had one longer top-flight unbeaten streak: 22 games against Aston Villa between 1950 and 1962. This is the 11th time Spurs and Everton have met on the opening weekend of a top-flight season – three more than any other fixture in top-flight history.
Tottenham’s Japhet Tanganga has been ruled out with a thigh injury, while Giovani Lo Celso faces a fitness test on a hamstring strain. Danny Rose will not be involved after he wasn’t given a squad number for the new season.
Everton’s Mason Holgate is absent with a toe problem but Andre Gomes and Yerry Mina have overcome minor injuries. New signings Allan, Abdoulaye Doucoure and James Rodriguez are all available to make their debuts.
Tottenham have only previously been at home for their opening Premier League game of the season in seven years out of 28. Their only defeat in those matches came against Manchester United in 1997-98. Spurs have won on the opening weekend in three successive seasons – they haven’t done so in four consecutive league campaigns since 1964-65 to 1967-68. Jose Mourinho has won 11 league matches against Everton, the joint highest total of his managerial career along with West Ham. Mourinho has taken charge of more games on the opening weekend of a Premier League season without losing than any other manager, winning nine and drawing one of his 10 games.
Everton are winless in 40 Premier League away fixtures against established top-six opposition since a 1-0 victory at Manchester United in December 2013. They are unbeaten in their opening league match over the past eight seasons since a 1-0 home defeat against Queens Park Rangers in 2011. Everton have had a player sent off in their first game in each of the last two seasons – no side has ever received a red card in three consecutive opening matches of a Premier League season. Carlo Ancelotti has been on the losing side just once in 21 league matches as a manager on the opening weekend of a season, a 2-1 defeat against Bologna at AC Milan in the 2008-09 season.
Premier League Saturday results
-Fulham 0-3 Arsenal
-Crystal Palace 1-0 Southampton
-Liverpool 4-3 Leeds United
-West Ham United 0-2 Newcastle United
Upcoming fixtures
Monday, 14-09-2020
-Sheffield United vs Wolves @8pm
-Brighton vs Chelsea @10:15pm
