The 2020-21 Premier League season kicks off this Saturday, with newly-promoted Fulham hosting London rivals Arsenal at Craven Cottage. There will be eight matches in the first week of the Premier League as Manchester United and Manchester City were given an extra week off due to their commitments in Europe last season. Burnley and Aston Villa are the other two sides who will not feature this week as well.
Defending Premier League champions Liverpool will host last year’s Championship winners Leeds United, as Whites manager Marcelo Bielsa goes head-to-head with Jurgen Klopp. Tottenham host Everton, in what will be an exciting match, while Chelsea – who have been very active in the transfer window – travel to the Amex to play Brighton.
Let’s take a look at the players to watch out for in the first week of the 2020-21 Premier League season.
Timo Werner
All eyes will be on Chelsea, and their exciting new attack, which will be spearheaded by German striker Timo Werner. A quick and skilful runner with the ball, as well as a good finisher in the box, Werner could cause havoc against Brighton this weekend.
Blues fans will be eager to see how their new signing performs in his first outing. He will most likely be joined by another new signing, Hakim Ziyech, and the duo could make it an exciting match to watch, going forward, at least.
Matheus Pereira
West Bromwich Albion earned a promotion to the Premier League after finishing second, as former West Ham United manager Slaven Bilic, masterminded the Hawthorns’ rise back to the Premier League. One of their star performers of the campaign was attacking midfielder Matheus Pereira, who racked up 16 assists in the campaign – the most by any player in the 2019-20 season.
Pereira is a technically gifted player who can unlock defences with his passing as well as his clever dribbling ability. The Brazilian could be a threat in attack when West Brom face Leicester City on Sunday.
Allan
Like Chelsea, Everton have also brought in some high-profile players, one of whom is Allan. The Brazilian midfielder was brought in from Napoli by manager Carlo Ancelotti, who had previously managed the 29-year-old when he was in charge of the Italian club.
Allan is a hard-working player who offers something in both attack and defence, and his all-action style of play could make him a fan’s favourite at Goodison Park.
Sadio Mane
Unlike their rivals, Liverpool have been quiet in the transfer window. Many of the Reds’ fans will argue that there is no need for too many changes as they dominated last season. In the first match of their title defence, the Reds will face Leeds United, and the trio of Mane, Firmino and Salah could run riot against the Whites.
Leeds do not have a settled backline, especially in central defence, and this area could be exploited by Mane, who could drift into central areas and end up giving the Whites a reality check.
Danny Ings
Danny Ings had his best season last time around as he scored 25 goals in all competitions, 22 of which came in the Premier League. The English striker will be the Saints’ most important player when they face off against Crystal Palace.
The Eagles also have issues at the back with as many as three central defenders out due to injury. Ings could capitalise on Palace’s defensive frailties, and he will be a player to watch out for this week.
