Premier League fixtures today – your guide to Saturday’s games

The Premier League season may be getting underway on Friday night with Manchester City taking on Burnley at Turf Moor, but Saturday is when it will really feel like 2023/24 is really upon us.

There are six matches for fans to settle down in front of the tele/radio for, although many of the biggest sides in the division are not in action until Sunday or Monday. Nonetheless, there are a number of intriguing matches to look forward to, with Champions League returnees Newcastle taking on Europa Conference League qualifiers Aston Villa in the day’s late game.

Here’s everything you need to know about Saturday’s action in the Premier League.

Mikel Arteta will be thrilled to be coming into this season opener having already got one over Manchester City and Pep Guardiola. The Gunners may not have been overly impressive during the Community Shield final itself, but they won the penalty shootout and will take confidence from it.

All of that confidence needs to be harnessed for what may not be an easy test. Nottingham Forest will have a different mindset this season and will want to prove that they really belong in the Premier League, so they will not make it easy for Arsenal.

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There are plenty of people who think Sheffield United have now got a worse squad than they did last season in the Championship. They are being given very little chance of avoiding an immediate drop back down to the second tier, so a favourable home game may be the perfect way to silence the naysayers.

As for Crystal Palace, their aim will just be to not enter the conversation for relegation quite as much as they did last season. Some interesting players have come through the door, but they will be navigating a first season in a long time without Wilfried Zaha.

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READ 90MIN’S SEASON PREVIEWS FOR PREMIER LEAGUE CLUBS: A-F

Both Bournemouth and West Ham will be keen to avoid a relegation dogfight this season after looking over their shoulders for much of 2022/23.

The hosts have a new manager in Andoni Iroala, formerly of Rayo Vallecano. A progressive, forward-thinking coach, he arrives on the south coast with a growing reputation, but will need a quick start to justify the surprise sacking of Gary O’Neil.

West Ham have had a bit of an odd summer, losing Declan Rice to Arsenal before finding Lucas Paqueta at the heart of interest from Manchester City. They have also struggled to bring in players, though the addition of Edson Alvarez will have lightened the mood.

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While Brighton continue to be praised for their business off the field, it is on the pitch where they need to impress come Saturday afternoon.

Roberto De Zerbi had his side playing electrifying football last season, with their consistency sealing a surprise top six finish and a place in this season’s Europa League. Premier League new boys Luton Town are their first test, with the Hatters inevitably one of the favourites for the drop.

But Rob Edwards’ side are no slouches and will be determined to prove they are up to scratch on the opening day.

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Everton supporters had their nerves shredded last season, as the club escaped relegation to the Championship by the skin of their teeth.

Sean Dyche eventually did what he was hired to do, keeping the Toffees afloat, but 2023/24 is shaping up to be just as difficult as the club combat having limited money to spend in the transfer market.

Fulham had a wonderful first year back in the top flight but this summer has been all about keeping Marco Silva and Aleksandar Mitrovic, their manager and star player, away from the clutches of Saudi Arabia. The Cottagers have managed it so far, but time will tell whether their preparations for the new season have been affected by the uncertainty.

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The day’s most entertaining game should come at St James’ Park, when Champions League hopefuls Newcastle take on Aston Villa.

The Magpies soared into the top four last season after playing some sensational football, and have added further quality to their squad after picking up Sandro Tonali, Harvey Barnes and Tino Livramento in the transfer market.

Villa are also riding high under Unai Emery, bagging a seventh-place finish last season, and they’ve also enjoyed the summer window – Moussa Diaby, Pau Torres and Youri Tielemans three extremely exciting additions in the Midlands.

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READ 90MIN’S SEASON PREVIEWS FOR PREMIER LEAGUE CLUBS: L-W