LONDON: The start of a new Premier League season is always a time of hope and dreams, even if defending champions Manchester City will probably be three points clear before their main rivals have kicked a ball this weekend.

Pep Guardiola’s treble-winning side travel to promoted Burnley, with former City captain Vincent Kompany now in charge at Turf Moor, on Friday night as they begin their bid to become the first side to ever win four consecutive English top-flight titles and sixth in seven years.

Arsenal appear best-placed to capitalise if City’s grip on the English game is to come to an end and will expect to get off to a flier at home to Nottingham Forest in Saturday’s lunchtime kickoff while fourth-placed Newcastle United are at home to Aston Villa in the evening.

Liverpool and Chelsea face an early test of how they will bounce back from disappointing seasons when they face off at Stamford Bridge on Sunday while Manchester United, third at the final whistle last May, must wait until Monday for their opening game at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers.

City are still riding the wave of euphoria from the end of last season as they added the club’s first ever Champions League to go with Premier League and FA Cup glory.

The summer has not been without its challenges for Pep Guardiola as captain Ilkay Gundogan departed to Barcelona and the riches on offer in Saudi

Arabia was too much for Riyad Mahrez to turn down.

City have also had to fight to retain Kyle Walker and Bernardo Silva, while Croatian duo Mateo Kovacic and Josko Gvardiol are the new only two new arrivals in the transfer market so far.

Guardiola’s opposite number in the dugout on Friday already has a statue outside the Etihad from his playing days, but Vincent Kompany has quickly established himself as one of the brightest coaching talents on the continent.

The former Belgian captain turned around a club in crisis during his first season at Turf Moor to return Burnley to the Premier League with seven games to spare.

The Clarets are a very different proposition to the side that punched above their weight to survive for six seasons in the top flight under Sean Dyche between 2016 and 2022.

Inspired by Guardiola, Kompany has transformed Burnley into a side that dominate the ball.

“I would play every week of every month of every year against a team the level of Man City,” said Kompany. “That is the best way to improve. You won’t get them all right, it’s impossible with the quality of that team — possibly the best team at the moment in world football — but that’s the best challenge so I wouldn’t want it any different.”

Burnley, though, did see the downside of opening up against City when they lost 6-0 in the FA Cup quarter-finals last season.

City lost the Community Shield on penalties to Arsenal at Wembley last weekend, hardly a bad omen given that they also lost the previous two and still ended the season as winners.

For Arsenal, however, it was an important statement.

“It’s a marker to know we can go and beat Manchester City in a big game when it matters,” said goalkeeper

Aaron Ramsdale. “I’m not sure what it’ll be like this season. But that mental block is gone.”

Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal splashed around 100 million pounds on signing England midfielder Declan Rice from West Ham, as well as 65 million on bringing Kai Havertz from Chelsea and 40 million on defender Jurrien Timber from Ajax Amsterdam.

Former Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino will be making his Chelsea league debut, with Blues fans eager for signs that last season’s nightmare is over but facing an immediate big challenge against Liverpool.

“We are in a good way; we are building something special I think,” he said at the weekend. “We know we are Chelsea and even if young players are involved against Liverpool, the mentality is to win.”

Chelsea, who finished 12th last season, have Reece James as their new captain after Cesar Azpilicueta left in a general clear-out but optimism around their positive performances in pre-season has been punctured by the news that Christopher Nkunku will be sidelined for up to four months after undergoing knee surgery.

Juergen Klopp’s Liverpool, fifth last season, will look to put their own disappointment behind them but all is also not well at Anfield with fans frustrated at the lack of new arrivals.

Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai are Jurgen Klopp’s only two new signings to help fill the void left by the departure of captain Jordan Hen­derson, Fabinho, James Milner, Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade Chamberlain and Roberto Firmino.

The array of attacking weapons on offer to Klopp has shown in a free-scoring pre-season, but the Reds have also looked defensively weak with little protection for the back four from the midfield.

“I can understand some people having doubts,” said new skipper Virgil van Dijk.

United begin their quest for a first league title in a decade on Monday against a Wolves side who were left without a manager just three days before the season begins.

Julen Lopetegui stepped down on Tuesday after becoming disillusioned with the lack of resources to spend in the transfer market.

Gary O’Neil has stepped into the hotseat at Molineux tasked with repeating his success in keeping Bournemouth up against the odds last season.

United will expect to get off to a winning start at Old Trafford, but the home crowd will have to wait for their first sight of new striker Rasmus Hojlund.

The Dane is suffering a back injury that is set to keep him out for a few weeks.

Over at Spurs, Australian Ange Postecoglou takes up the baton with a trip across London to Brentford, with or without England captain and record goalscorer Harry Kane after repeated appro­aches from Bayern Munich.

Promoted Sheffield United are at home to Crystal Palace on Saturday while Luton Town are at Brighton & Hove Albion for the Hatters’ first game in the top flight since 1992, pre-Premier League.

Everton host Fulham also on Saturday, with West Ham United travelling to Bournemouth.

Fixtures (all times GMT):

Friday: Burnley v Manchester City (1900).

Saturday Arsenal v Nottingham Forest (1130), Bournemouth v West Ham United, Brighton & Hove Albion v Luton Town, Everton v Fulham, Sheffield United v Crystal Palace (all 1400), Newcastle v Aston Villa (1630).

Sunday: Brentford v Tottenham Hotspur (1300), Chelsea v Liverpool (1530).

Monday: Manchester United v Wolverhampton Wanderers (1900).

Published in Dawn, August 11th, 2023