The opening day of the Premier League is upon us, and the importance of hitting the ground running seems more important as the standard of the Premier League keeps rising.
When you look at the off-season activity of all the big clubs in preparation for the season, what they all have in common is that they have all made big changes to their attack.
Hindsight will end up proving who made the most effective changes, and when it comes to the battle for the title and UEFA Champions League qualification, it’ll all come down to which new attack was the one that adapted to the demands of the Premier League the best.
As the first matchweek begins, where all these teams get to show off their new goalscoring toys, here’s a look at what to look out for on the opening weekend, with all matches live on Showmax Pro, courtesy of SuperSport.
Manchester City
The defending team is the team that’s made the biggest attacking change – both literally and physically.Their season starts with a litmus test away to West Ham, which was one of the few fixtures where City dropped points last season.
Liverpool
With the sale of Sadio Mane to Bayern Munich, it’s officially the end of a legendary Liverpool attacking era of Mane, Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino as front three.
While the trio might have broken up, there’s been plenty of new reinforcements coming in that all look like good fits as Liverpool players.
Their campaign starts with a trip to newly-promoted Fulham, where an early goal could be important if they are to silence a crowd that’s excited to be back in the top tier.
Chelsea
Amidst all the behind-the-scenes changes at Chelsea, the change in attack can be defined by one big departure and one big exit. Goodbye, Romelu Lukaku. Hello, Raheem Sterling.
Fans will get a first competitive look at the new Chelsea side when they play Everton away, where a certain Frank Lampard could have some points to prove in that reunion.
Tottenham
A major criticism of Tottenham has been an over-reliance on the duo of Harry Kane and Son Heung-Min. Their season starts at home to Southampton – a team that ended the season with a calamitous defense. On paper at least, it looks like an ideal situation for the Spurs attack to make a powerful opening statement.
Arsenal
With Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang leaving under a cloud and Alexandre Lacazette moving back to France, Arsenal were in need of a new hero to pin their goal-scoring hopes on.
It’s a tricky test for them first up with a trip to Crystal Palace on the opening yesterday night. Selhurst Park is renowned for its loud, unwelcoming atmosphere where many top teams drop points. Three points from that trip will be a great signal of intent for Arteta’s team.
Manchester United
At Old Trafford, it’s not so much the change in players that’s the main cause of change to their attack, but rather the change in coaching staff that will affect their goalscoring.
Their first game is against Brighton – a team that humiliated them with a 4-0 scoreline near the end of last season. Compared to that meeting, any positive outcome for United on Sunday could seem like a forward step for the new regime.
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