English Premier League 2022-23: What to watch for in Matchweek 1 originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
No, you’re not crazy – the new English Premier League season is already almost upon us.
After Manchester City lifted the league title a little over two months ago, teams have completed their preseason schedules and are ready to start the grind of the new campaign.
With the first game on the calendar not too far away, here’s everything you need to know ahead of Matchweek 1 of the 2022-23 EPL season:
When does the 2022-23 English Premier League season start?
The 2022-23 EPL season starts with Arsenal visiting Selhurst Park to take on Crystal Palace on Friday, Aug. 5 at 3 p.m. ET.
After falling two points shy of UEFA Champions League qualification last season, Mikel Arteta’s revamped squad will be hoping for a strong start to the campaign. However, Patrick Vieira’s side has established itself as a tough team to beat at home. Palace finished three points off a top-10 spot in the standings last year and will also hope to kick off the season on the right foot.
This will be the only contest on Friday. There will be six games on Saturday and three on Sunday to end Matchweek 1.
What are the key games from Matchweek 1 of the 2022 English Premier League season?
None of England’s “Big 6” will be squaring off in Matchweek 1, but there are two games to mark on your calendar. The first is Chelsea at Everton on Saturday, Aug. 6 at 12:30 p.m. ET. Everton just avoided relegation last season, so Frank Lampard will need his squad to start off strong against the team he once suited up for.
The other is West Ham hosting City on Sunday, Aug. 7 at 11:30 a.m. ET. The Hammers almost topped Manchester United in the table last year, but still qualified for the UEFA Europa Conference League tournament. That won’t be an easy opener for the defending league champions, but there’s another reason why that’s a game to watch.
When is Erling Haaland’s English Premier League debut?
Haaland is set to make his English Premier League debut against West Ham on Sunday, Aug. 7 at 11:30 a.m. ET. After coming over from Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund, he’ll have a ton of eyes on him as he’s one of the best young players in the world. He had a rough outing against Liverpool in the FA Community Shield, which included this egregious missso it’ll be interesting to see how it adapts to life in England.
How will the 2022 World Cup affect the English Premier League schedule?
With the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar taking place in November rather than the usual time of summer, leagues around the world will be taking a break to allow players to compete on soccer’s grandest stage.
The EPL will have its last round of games on the weekend of Nov. 12 and 13 before pausing games until Boxing Day on Dec. 26. If a Premier League player makes it to the World Cup Final, they will have only eight days to recover since the last game of the tournament is scheduled for Dec. 18.
English Premier League Matchweek 1 odds
Here’s a look at the betting odds for each contest in Matchweek 1, with all odds courtesy of our betting partner, PointsBet (road teams are listed first):
Arsenal at Crystal Palace:
Arsenal: -121
Crystal Palace: +325
Draw: +260
Liverpool at Fulham:
Liverpool: -375
Fulham: +900
Draw: +475
Southampton at Tottenham:
Southampton: +750
Tottenham: -291
Draw: +400
Nottingham Forest at Newcastle:
Nottingham Forest: +450
Newcastle: -155
Draw: +270
Aston Villa at Bournemouth:
Aston Villa: +100
Bournemouth: +270
Draw: +240
Wolverhampton at Leeds:
Wolverhampton: +220
Leeds: +130
Draw: +225
Chelsea at Everton:
Chelsea: -160
Everton: +450
Draw: +280
Brentford at Leicester:
Brentford: +250
Leicester: +100
Draw: +260
Brighton at Manchester United:
Brighton: +475
Manchester United: -171
Draw: +290
Manchester City at West Ham:
Manchester City: -276
West Ham: +700
Draw: +400
Who are the favorites to win the English Premier League title in 2022-23?
The defending champions are expected to reign supreme again in 2022-23. City have the best odds, with one other team also close in the race. Here is the full list, with all odds courtesy of our betting partner, PointsBet:
Manchester City: -150
Liverpool: +250
Tottenham: +1200
Chelsea: +1400
Arsenal: +2500
Manchester United: +3300
Newcastle: +15000
West Ham: +25000
Leicester City: +35000
Aston Villa: +35000
Everton: +50000
Crystal Palace: +50000
Leeds United: +50000
Southampton: +50000
Nottingham Forest: +50000
Brighton & Hove Albion: +50000
Wolverhampton Wanderers: +50000
Brentford: +100000
Fulham: +100000
Bournemouth: +150000
Editor’s note: All odds are provided by us partner, PointsBet. PointsBet is our Official Sports Betting Partner and we may receive compensation if you place a bet on PointsBet for the first time after clicking our links.