English Premier League 2019-2020

#1      
Here's when the different derbies/rivalries matches will take place this upcoming season:

-September 1: North London Derby (Emirates Stadium)
-September 20: New Forest Derby (St. Mary's Stadium)
-September 22: Chelsea-Liverpool (Stamford Bridge)
-September 30: Arsenal-Manchester United (Old Trafford)
-October 19: North-West Derby (Old Trafford)
-December 4: Merseyside Derby (Anfield)
-December 7: Manchester Derby (Etihad Stadium)
-December 14: M23 Derby (Selhurst Park)
-December 21: Chelsea-Spurs (Tottenham Hotspur Stadium)
-December 28: Arsenal-Chelsea (Emirates Stadium)
-January 1: Arsenal-Manchester United (Emirates Stadium)
-January 18: North-West Derby (Anfield)
-January 22: Arsenal-Chelsea (Stamford Bridge)
-February 22: Chelsea-Spurs (Stamford Bridge)
-February 29: M23 Derby (Amex Stadium)
-March 7: Manchester Derby (Etihad Stadium)
-March 14: Merseyside Derby (Goodison Park)
-April 25: North London Derby (Tottenham Hotspur Stadium)
-May 9: New Forest Derby (Vitality Stadium); Chelsea-Liverpool (Anfield)
 
#2      
As far as the fixtures overall, Norwich City has one of the toughest draws as they'll travel to Anfield to face Liverpool in their opening match while also having home dates Chelsea and Manchester City in their first five matches. The only team they'll face in the first five matches of their schedule that didn't finish in the top half of the league is Newcastle United.

Wolves and Newcastle United got some pretty tough early draws as well.

On the opposite side, West Ham United got one of the easiest opening draws to start out. Even though they open at home against defending champions Manchester City, they face two teams that finished in the bottom half of the table last season and two newly promoted sides in Norwich City and Aston Villa.

Both teams in Merseyside got some fairly easy draws early as well.
 
#3      
As far as Everton's opening fixtures, their first 5 matches look like this:

-away to Crystal Palace
-vs. Watford
-away to Aston Villa
-vs. Wolves
-away to Bournemouth

Wolves is the only team in that group that finished in the top half of the table last season.

Toughest stretch in the schedule appears to be between November 30th and December 21st which includes away matches at Leicester City, Liverpool, and Manchester United and home matches against Chelsea and Arsenal.
 
#5      

Joel Goodson

respect my decision™
Hardly a Chelski fan, but quite interested to see how Pulisic fares. Pretty good offseason for my Gunners.
 
#6      
Everton have signed young Italian striker Moise Kean to a five year deal for €29 million. Kean comes from Juventus where he scored 6 goals in 13 appearances, including 3 in as many games during Ronaldo's absence.

He is the 5th signing for the Toffees during the summer transfer window.
 
#8      

KBLEE

Montgomery, IL
Hardly a Chelski fan, but quite interested to see how Pulisic fares. Pretty good offseason for my Gunners.

I'm a fan on Pulisic and enjoy watching him with the USMNT, but I just don't think he has what it takes to stand up to the rigors of the EPL.
 
#9      
I'm a fan on Pulisic and enjoy watching him with the USMNT, but I just don't think he has what it takes to stand up to the rigors of the EPL.

He's only 20. I think people forget that with all the hype and playing time at an early age, plus his big price tag. Even if he struggles for the next year or 2, it doesn't mean he can't play in the EPL. The general consensus around Chelsea is he has had a good preseason.

On a similar note, Ross Barkley has had a great preseason and looks very confident. Had a good end to last season as well. I think people also forget he is only 25. He was hyped up at an early age similar to Pulisic. Kind of hit a wall the past couple years, but I'm hopeful Lampard can get him into his prime.

Can't wait to see who Lampard starts on Sunday against Man United. In the front 3 he can go with youth (Pulisic and Abraham) or experience (Willian, Pedro, Giroud). I'll be pretty darn excited if I see Pulisic's name in the starting XI. It would show a ton of trust to play him on opening day against a big rival. But I certainly wouldn't fault Lampard for picking the veterans.
 
#10      

wettsten

Chicago
some questions for conversation:
- which new players (for your club or any other) are you excited about?
- which old players do you wish your club would unload?
- which players do you wish your club signed?
- will the big money signing pay off?
- top six/bottom three predictions?

also, is there any interest if i start up a fantasy premier league?
 
#12      

unimaroon

Baja Ontario
some questions for conversation:
- which new players (for your club or any other) are you excited about?
- which old players do you wish your club would unload?
- which players do you wish your club signed?
- will the big money signing pay off?
- top six/bottom three predictions

Oxlade-Chamberlain, none, n/a, already has.
LFC, MC, Spurs, Ars, ManU, Chelsea
Brighton, Burnley, AV
 
#13      
some questions for conversation:
- which new players (for your club or any other) are you excited about?
- which old players do you wish your club would unload?
- which players do you wish your club signed?
- will the big money signing pay off?
- top six/bottom three predictions?

also, is there any interest if i start up a fantasy premier league?

-Excited about Pulisic
-Possibly David Luiz after this news came out https://www.telegraph.co.uk/footbal...ses-train-chelsea-attempt-force-move-arsenal/
-Didn't have one because of the transfer ban (kind of refreshing)
-I'm not sure there is such a thing anymore. Clubs are spending millions like it's chump change. (Maguire for 80mil???)
-City, Spurs, Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal, Everton (if they get Zaha)

Might have to change my top 6 if deadline day gets crazy. The rumors are really starting to swirl.
 
#14      
some questions for conversation:
- which new players (for your club or any other) are you excited about?
- which old players do you wish your club would unload?
- which players do you wish your club signed?
- will the big money signing pay off?
- top six/bottom three predictions?

Another additional question as far as predictions go: Do Norwich City, Sheffield United, and Aston Villa stay up for another season or do they all get relegated back down to the EFL Championship?
 
#16      

wettsten

Chicago
sane may have ruptured his ACL so that leaves the top spot wide open. i'm thinking city, lfc, and spurs will compete for top spot. although if ericksen leaves, that will probably hurt the spurs; but not near as much as a transfer ban and hazard leaving hurt chelsea. arsenal and man united will slightly improve and battle for fourth which is somewhat helped by chelsea taking a step back. everton/wolves/west ham could even pip chelsea for sixth.

relegation: sheffield, brighton, villa/burnley

interesting players outside the big six coming into the league: seb haller, raul jimenez, moise kean, joelinton
 
#17      

HisRoyalFrankness

Chicago, IL
some questions for conversation:
- which new players (for your club or any other) are you excited about?
- which old players do you wish your club would unload?
- which players do you wish your club signed?
- will the big money signing pay off?
- top six/bottom three predictions?

also, is there any interest if i start up a fantasy premier league?

I would also be down for the EPL fantasy league. If not this year, we should set one up for next year.

-Liverpool didn't sign much, but I am excited for Harvey Elliott (16 year old from Fulham)
-None, but I see Lovren leaving next season most likely. I wish we would have been able to resign Sturridge but his wages and injury record couldn't justify it
-I would have liked a backup left back and not have to use Milner if Robertson is out
-No big money signings, but I trust Klopp and our sporting director Michael Edwards
-City, LFC, Spurs, Arsenal, Utd, Chelsea
-Bottom 3 prediction of Newcastle, Brighton, Sheffield Utd
 
#18      

unimaroon

Baja Ontario
the ox is hardly a new player. what's so exciting about him?
Ox was playing particularly well when he was lost to injury in April '18. He was lost for 18/19, although he did make it back for the final 5 games this past season. So his return is a potentially big boost to the midfield and a tactical piece that wasn't there last season. If my small attempt at wry humor sits poorly, Rhian Brewster from the u-23 would be my more serious response. Or maybe Hoever. Or maybe Pulisic in London. Or Zaha, if he did move.
 
#19      
This weekend's Premier League schedule (all times Central):

Friday
2:00 PM, NBCSN: Liverpool vs. Norwich City

Saturday
6:30 AM, NBCSN: West Ham United vs. Manchester City
9:00 AM, NBCSN: Bournemouth vs. Sheffield United
11:30 AM, NBC: Spurs vs. Aston Villa

Sunday
8:00 AM, NBCSN: Newcastle United vs. Arsenal
8:00 AM, CNBC: Leicester City vs. Wolves
10:30 AM, NBCSN: Manchester United vs. Chelsea
 
#20      
Everton and Crystal Palace play to a 0:0 draw. Both sides had quality chances throughout the match but neither one could put one past the goalkeepers. The wind played quite a factor throughout the match as well as it was gusting strongly enough to be heard through the commentators' mics. This is the 2nd straight season that Everton have opened the season with a draw.

The Toffees return to action next Saturday with their Goodison opener vs. Watford.
 
#21      

whatahack

St. Peters MO
I'm a City guy and was wondering what everyone thought about VAR coming to the premier league.....
 
#22      
Everton and Crystal Palace play to a 0:0 draw. Both sides had quality chances throughout the match but neither one could put one past the goalkeepers. The wind played quite a factor throughout the match as well as it was gusting strongly enough to be heard through the commentators' mics. This is the 2nd straight season that Everton have opened the season with a draw.

The Toffees return to action next Saturday with their Goodison opener vs. Watford.

Tough debut for Keane. Sneiderlin's red card kind of ruined it.
 
#23      
I'm a City guy and was wondering what everyone thought about VAR coming to the premier league.....

I need to know more about how they determine offside. How accurate is it? Sterling goal that was ruled offside is the perfect example. The lines in VAR did show he was offside by the smallest of margins. But is that 100% accurate? I think determining when the ball was played is the most ambiguous part. If VAR determined the ball was played just a 1/10th of a second earlier then maybe Sterling would've been onside.
 
#24      

KBLEE

Montgomery, IL
I'm a City guy and was wondering what everyone thought about VAR coming to the premier league.....

It's been needed for a while. I like the way they have implemented it. Only 4 things can be reviewed: offside or not, penalty or not, red card or not, and mistaken identity. As long as the reviews are quick, it's all good in my book.
 
#25      
Tough debut for Keane. Sneiderlin's red card kind of ruined it.

I assume you meant Kean and not Keane (though I can understand the confusion as Crystal Palace has a McCarthy and a McArthur). But yeah, he didn't come in until about midway through the 2nd half and didn't do a whole lot. The surprise performance was Sigurdsson as, aside from his near goal in the 1st half, he had a lot of cheap giveaways.