The 2022/23 English Premier League season gets underway today (Friday, August 5) at Selhurst Park, with a London derby, as Crystal Palace host Arsenal in a much-anticipated encounter. Then early Saturday morning, last season’s runner-up Liverpool will face another promoted side to get their season off and running in an expected thriller.

Event # 1 – EPL, Crystal Palace vs Arsenal – 2:00 pm

Both Crystal Palace and Arsenal kick off the new season on the back of wins in their closing pre-season matches, with Arsenal having won two trophies in pre-season over Chelsea and Sevilla. With that said, Crystal Palace have been a thorn in Arsenal’s flesh in recent times and will enter this clash with high hopes of securing another win over their London rivals. Crystal Palace thumped Arsenal 3-0 just a few months ago, but with some astute signing during the summer transfer window, Arsenal will be aiming to turn the tables on their counterparts this time around.

Kicking off their season at home might be just what the doctor ordered for Crystal Palace, who went unbeaten in their last six home matches last season and remarkably managed to keep clean sheets in each of the last five matches. However, if Arsenal’s pre-season is anything to go by, the Gunners will be a force to be reckoned with in the new season, as Chelsea found out in no uncertain manner when they were battered 4-0 in Orlando. With Gabriel Jesus in fine form since transferring from Manchester City, Arsenal will be hoping he will continue his excellent form in their opening match as they aim to avoid a repeat of last season’s opening match where they were beaten 2-0 by the newly promoted Brentford City.

KEY STATS

• Crystal Palace – have won their opening top-flight league match in only five of their previous 22 seasons (D7 L10), although they have won two of their last four (D1 L1), beating Fulham in 2018-19 and Southampton in 2020-21.

• Arsenal – this is the third-consecutive season Arsenal are starting their Premier League campaign with a London derby. They won 3-0 at Fulham in 2020-21, before losing 2-0 at Brentford in 2021-22’s season opener.

• Both sides – Crystal Palace have lost just one of their last eight Premier League meetings with Arsenal (W2 D5). Following a 3-0 win in April, the Eagles are looking to win consecutive league games against the Gunners for the first time in their history.

The betting tip. Derby draw with both teams to score.

Event # 2 EPL – Fulham vs Liverpool – 6:30 pm

Liverpool once again face a Premier League opening day game against a newly promoted side as they visit Craven Cottage to take on Fulham.

For the fifth season in a row, Fulham will be playing in a different division to the one previously as they aim to finally consolidate their return to the topflight. Promotion has been followed by relegation in 2019 and 2021, but Fulham won the Championship title and has now returned to the Premier League, which is where they plan to stay for years to come.

Meanwhile, Liverpool once again lost out to Manchester City in the two-horse, top-flight battle last season but gained a measure of revenge with a 3-1 win in the Community Shield last Saturday. Liverpool will start the new season without one of their famed front three in the form of Sadio Mane who has since left for a new challenge with Bayern Munich, but the Reds have brought in former Benfica Hit-man Darwin Nunez who also found the net against City. The Reds will travel to Fulham high on confidence having won 13 of their 19 away matches last season and that total was only bettered by no other than Manchester City.

KEY STATS

• Fulham – are winless in their last 10 Premier League games (D2 L8), with their last top-flight victory coming against Liverpool in March 2021. However, On the five previous occasions Fulham have been newly promoted to the English top-flight, they have lost their first league match of the season, doing so in 1949-50, 1959-60, 2001-02, 2018-19 and 2020-21.

• Liverpool – have won their first Premier League match in each of the last four seasons, the longest ongoing run in the top flight, scoring at least three goals in every victory (15 goals in total). Liverpool are unbeaten in their last 19 Premier League games (W16 D3) since a 1-0 loss at Leicester in December 2021. The Reds have won their last three despite conceding the opening goal within the opening 15 minutes each time — only Arsenal (March 2012) have ever won four consecutive Premier League games from behind.

• Both sides – Fulham were unbeaten across both Premier League games against Liverpool in 2020-21, drawing 1-1 at home and winning 1-0 at Anfield. Despite suffering relegation that season, the Cottagers’ four points against the Reds was their joint-most against an opponent (also four v Sheffield United and West Brom).

The betting tip. Liverpool win.

JUSTBET ODDS – Crystal Palace vs Arsenal

Friday, August 5, 2022

PredictionOdds on PredictionOdds Calculation

CRYSTAL PALACE TO WIN$4.30which means a $1000 bet would pay $4,300

ARSENAL TO WIN$1.76which means a $1000 bet would pay $1,760

MATCH TO DRAW$3.75which means a $1000 bet would pay $3,750

Odds on the Home Team (Palace) winning the game 2-1 at full time$14.00which means that a $1,000 bet would pay $14,000

Odds on the Away Team (Arsenal) winning the game 0-2 at full time$8.00which means that a $1,000 bet would pay $8,000

Odds on the game drawing 1-1 at full time$6.75which means that a $1,000 bet would pay $6,750.

JUSTBET ODDS – Fulham vs Liverpool

Saturday, August 6, 2022

PredictionOdds on PredictionOdds Calculation

FULHAM TO WIN$10.00which means a $1000 bet would pay $10,000

LIVERPOOL TO WIN$1.28which means a $1000 bet would pay $1,280

MATCH TO DRAW$5.50which means a $1000 bet would pay $5,500

Odds on the Home Team (Fulham) winning the game 2-1 at full time$26.00which means that a $1,000 bet would pay $26,000

Odds on the Away Team (L/Pool) winning the game 1-3 at full time$10.00which means that a $1,000 bet would pay $10,000

Odds on the game drawing 2-2 at full time$21.00which means that a $1,000 bet would pay $21,000.