The Premier League kicks off this weekend with Manchester City aiming to maintain their dominance in English football and Ipswich Town making their top-flight return.
The season begins on Friday at 20:00 BST with Manchester United hosting Fulham. Matches will continue over four days.
Highlights of the opening weekend include Ipswich’s home game against Liverpool on Saturday and Manchester City’s away fixture at Chelsea on Sunday.
Arsenal will strive to dethrone Manchester City, while Manchester United looks to rebound from their poorest season since 1990.
New Rules for the 2024-25 Season
Several changes have been introduced for this season:
– VAR Adjustments: The video assistant referee system will now only intervene if it is “clear” that the on-pitch official has made a mistake. This is intended to reduce stoppages for marginal decisions.
– Handball and Blocking: The handball rule has been relaxed; players will not need to keep their arms rigidly by their sides or behind their backs. Handball decisions will now consider the player’s body movement. Non-deliberate handballs leading to a penalty will no longer result in an automatic booking. Attacking players obstructing opponents at set-pieces will be penalized more strictly.
– Stoppage Time: Time added for goal celebrations will now start only after 30 seconds, reducing the total stoppage time. For example, a game with six goals will see three minutes less stoppage time.
– Penalty Procedures: The ball must be positioned on or over the center of the penalty spot. Encroachment will only be penalized if it impacts the penalty taker or the outcome of the penalty.
– Ball Boys/Girls and Substitutes: Ball boys and girls will hand balls to goalkeepers for restarts, and five substitutes can now warm up simultaneously on the touchline.
– New Ball: The Nike Flight ball features Aerowsculpt technology for a truer flight.
New Faces in the Premier League
A significant number of new managers and players will be present this season:
– Managers: Arne Slot (Liverpool), Enzo Maresca (Chelsea), Russell Martin (Southampton), Kieran McKenna (Ipswich), and Fabian Hurzeler (Brighton) will be managing in the Premier League for the first time.
– Players: Manchester United has signed Leny Yoro (£52m), Joshua Zirkzee (£33.7m), and Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui for a combined fee of around £60m. Manchester City acquired Brazil winger Savinho for £30.8m, while Arsenal signed Riccardo Calafiori for up to £42m. Brighton’s new additions include Yankuba Minteh (£30m), Mats Wieffer (£25m), and Brajan Gruda (£25m). Chelsea signed Marc Guiu and Filip Jorgensen among others. Tottenham’s Archie Gray and West Ham’s Niclas Fullkrug also joined the Premier League.
Promoted Teams
Ipswich Town returns to the Premier League after 22 years, while Leicester City and Southampton are back after one season away. Ipswich has made several new signings, including Omari Hutchinson and Liam Delap. Leicester is on its third manager since April 2023, and Southampton has replaced Che Adams with Ben Brereton Diaz.
Title Race
Manchester City seeks to extend their record of four consecutive top-flight titles. Arsenal aims to challenge for the title, having finished as runners-up for the past two seasons. Liverpool starts the season under new management with Arne Slot. Manchester United aims for improvement under Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who has retained manager Erik ten Hag. Chelsea, Tottenham, and Aston Villa also look to make their mark in the new season.
