Sports Blog 12/08/2016: Match Preview – Premier League, Saturday 13th & Sunday 14th August 2016

It’s finally here! The Premier League 2016/17 kicks-off this weekend, with Spreadex offering up plenty of fixed odds and spread-betting opportunities for football fans to sink their teeth into!

Raising the curtain on the new season are defending champions Leicester, who travel to Hull on Saturday at 12.30pm on Sky Sports 1. Claudio Ranieri has been relatively busy over the summer, with a trio of signings designed to replace the departed N’Golo Kante (Nice’s Nampalys Mendy), provide a bit more versatility on the wing (Cracovia’s Bartosz Kapustka) and add an extra option upfront (CSKA Moscow’s Ahmed Musa). Yet more important that these signings is the fact that the Italian has seemingly managed to keep hold of Riyad Mahrez and Jamie Vardy, an impressive feat given many thought the pair would go the way of Kante to use last season as a springboard to a bigger club.



Hull, on the other hand, are in pretty dire straits ahead of their return to the Premier League. Having won the Championship play-offs last season one would think there would be an air of excitement around the Tigers. Instead Steve Bruce has left in frustration at the lack of transfer activity and the loss of Mohamed Diame, with his assistant and former Norwich and Man United teammate Mike Phelan stepping in as caretaker.

There is the sense in some quarters that 2016/17 could be a huge comedown for Leicester; Saturday’s season-starter shouldn’t pose too much of an issue, however, our traders offering a Leicester/Hull Goal Supremacy spread of 0.5-0.7 alongside a Total Goals spread of 2.35-2.55.

Sunday’s early game then sees Jose Mourinho’s first Premier League game since his Chelsea-dismissal last December, as his Manchester United take on Bournemouth at 1.30pm on Sky Sports 1. The (currently not so) Special One has already set out his stall this season; the savvy signings of Eric Bailly and Henrikh Mkhitaryan have been joined by the arrival of Zlatan Ibrahimovic (who heads into the weekend at a Super Mega PGM of 42-49) and, for a record transfer fee of £89 million, Paul Pogba. That final signing is the real statement of intent, though the Frenchman (and, remember, former Man United youngster) won’t make an appearance thanks to a carried over suspension from last season’s Coppa Italia.



After avoiding relegation in their first season in the top flight Eddie Howe’s Bournemouth will be looking to climb a bit higher up the table in 2016/17. The sale of Matt Ritche to Newcastle has helped the Cherries splash the cash a bit over summer, the most notable signings being Jordon Ibe and Brad Smith, both from Liverpool, the former for a club record of £15 million.

Already Mourinho has won his first piece of silverware at United with last weekend’s Community Shield victory, and shouldn’t have any issue on Sunday, Spreadex offering a Manchester United/Bournemouth (h) Goal Supremacy spread of 0.55-0.75 alongside a Total Goals spread of 2.45-2.65.

Finally Sunday afternoon brings about the biggest game of Week 1, as Arsenal host Liverpool at 4pm on Sky Sports 1. It’s been a typically frustrating season for those Gunners waiting for Arsene Wenger to dip into the club’s now rather substantial coffers. The pre-Euro 2016, and unusually extravagant, signing of Switzerland’s Grant Xhaka seemed to portend a change in tone at Arsenal, only for it all go quiet, the only subsequent arrival being Rob Holding from Bolton. To be fair to Wenger, that’s not through want of trying, with bids rejected for Jamie Vardy, Gonzalo Higuain and Alexandre Lacazette among others.



Jurgen Klopp has been far busier than his Premier League rival. Trimming Liverpool’s fat has allowed the German to buy Sadio Mane (who has a Super Mega PGM of 17-21) from Southampton and Georginio Wijnaldum from Newcastle for a combined fee of £57 million. Not content with those star signings Klopp has also raided the Bundesliga, with Liverpool nabbing Joel Matip from Schalke, Loris Karius from Mainz 05 and Ragnar Klavan and Alex Manninger (the latter a double-winner with Arsenal) from Augsburg. The lack of European football this season may also end up being a big bonus for the Reds, especially if their new signings pan out.

With the pre-season chatter dominated by the goings on in Manchester both sides will be looking to prove they are worthy additions to any title talk when they meet on Sunday. It will likely be a tight affair, though Spreadex’s traders are erring on the side of a home win, offering an Arsenal/Liverpool Goal Supremacy spread of 0.15-0.35 alongside a Total Goals spread of 2.7-2.9.