What to expect from the Gameweek 1 fixtures

With less than a week to go until the Gameweek 1 deadline FPL managers will have important decisions to make. We take a look at what FPL managers should expect from the Gameweek 1 fixtures.

Ahead of the first fixtures of the new season we take a look at the previous meetings between the clubs.

Gameweek 1

Friday

Crystal Palace v Arsenal

• There have been 26 meetings between these two clubs in the league. Arsenal have won 14, Palace four and there have been eight draws.
• Palace won the last meeting between the sides 3-0 back in April.
• Zaha has a good record at home to Arsenal averaging 5.33 points per match at Selhurst Park against the Gunners since 2016.

Saturday

Fulham v Liverpool

• Fulham return to the Premier League for the 2022/23 season. There have been 30 previous meetings in the competition between these two sides. Liverpool have won 18, Fulham 7 and there have been five draws.
• Fulham beat Liverpool in the last Premier League meeting between the sides back in March 2021. However Liverpool have won three of the last five meetings and there has also been one draw.
• Salah has returned in every Gameweek 1 fixture that he has played in including four double digit hauls in five games.

Bournemouth v Aston Villa

• There have been just four meetings in the Premier League between these two sides. Bournemouth’s promotion means this is the first time they have meet in the competition since February 2020.
• The previous matches have resulted in three wins for Bournemouth and one for Aston Villa. Aston Villa’s victory came back in 2015. The last three matches have finished 2-1 to Bournemouth.
• Villa’s Leon Bailey has been in excellent form in pre-season and has attracted great comments from manager Steven Gerrard:

It was more than an impact. He changed the game, he showed energy, he showed speed and a hunger to cause problems.

He’s come back from pre-season as a different player, not just from a technical point of view, his demeanour, his body language. I think he’s trusting his body more so we need to keep him healthy. So far for Leon he’s sending a massive message to me that he wants to be in the XI so he needs to have a strong two weeks.

Gerrard on Leon Bailey

Leeds v Wolves

• There have been six previous meetings in the league between these two clubs. Wolves have won three, Leeds two and there has been one draw.
• Raul Jimenez has played twice at Elland Road for Wolves and has returned in both of those matches with a goal and two bonus points in one match and an assist in the other.
• Pedro Neto is proving to be a popular budget enabler in FPL, the midfielder scored in Wolves’ victory over Besiktas last weekend.

Newcastle v Nottingham Forest

• There have been eight previous Premier League meetings between these two sides. Newcastle have won five and there have been three draws.
• However, the clubs have not played each other in the top flight of English football since March 1999.

Spurs v Southampton

• There have been 46 meetings in the Premier League between these two sides. Spurs have won 24, Southampton 14 and there have been eight draws.
• Che Adams scored late on in the last match between these two sides, but prior to that spurs had won three of the last four meetings. The other game ended in a draw
• Harry Kane averages 7.29 points per match against Southampton. He has returned in all bar four of the 14 Premier League matches he has played against them. Likewise Son averages 7.23 points per match against the Saints and has returned in all of his last five Premier League appearances against them.

Everton v Chelsea

• There have been 60 meetings in the Premier League between these two clubs. Chelsea have won 27 games, Everton 13 and there have been 20 draws.
• Everton pulled off a shock victory in the last meeting between these two sides back in May. Their victory here was part of the reason that Everton retained their Premier League place for the new season.
• Dominic Calvert-Lewin has return in each of his last three meetings at home to Chelsea. In that time he has averaged 7.33 points per match against the blues.

Sunday

Leicester v Brentford

• After Brentford’s promotion to the Premier League last season there have been two matches in the Premier League between these two sides. Leicester won both of these matches.
• Both of the matches last season ended 2-1. Maddison scored in both of these fixtures last season.
• As well as scoring in both matches against Brentford, Maddison returned in eight of his last 11 Premier League last season.

Man United v Brighton

• There have been 10 previous meetings in the Premier League between these clubs. United have won seven and Brighton three.
• Brighton pulled off a shock 4-0 victory in the last meeting between these two sides.
• Bruno Fernandes averages 8.80 points per match against Brighton in the league. He has also returned in four of the five matches he has played against them in the competition.

West Ham v Man City

• There have been 42 meetings in the Premier League between these two sides. Man City have won 25, West Ham nine and there have been eight draws.
• The last meeting between these two sides ended in a 2-2 draw. There has only been one clean sheet in the last five meetings between the sides, that was for Man City in February 2020.
• Kevin de Bruyne averages 5.58 points per match against West Ham in the league. Meanwhile Jarrod Bowen returned in 14 point haul in the last meeting between the clubs.

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Wondering what the biggest points return was in a single Gameweek? Check out our recent article.