The Premier League comes alive today after 82 days since the last team ended and 19 teams including promoted from the Championship Watford, Brentford and Norwich will be aiming to wrestle the title from Champions Machester City.
The season kicks off later tonight at 7:00pm when Brentford host Arsenal at the Brentford Community Stadium.
Teams News
Brentford expects to have striker Ivan Toney fit for the opener against Arsenal.
Toney, who was the top scorer in the Sky Bet Championship last season with 31 goals, missed the final pre-season friendly against Valencia as a precaution over a neck problem.
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DR Congo forward Yoane Wissa could be involved after completing his recent move from French side Lorient, but Denmark midfielder Mathias Jensen (foot) and Josh Dasilva (hip) remain unavailable.
Arsenal could hand a competitive debut to £50m defender Ben White, while Albert Lokonga and Nuno Tavares may also make their Gunners' bows.
Thomas Partey is out for the rest of the month after suffering an ankle injury in the pre-season defeat by Chelsea.
Eddie Nketiah (ankle) and Gabriel Magalhaes (knee) are also missing.
Opta stats
- This will be the first league meeting between Brentford and Arsenal since May 1947, a match the Gunners won 1-0 at Griffin Park.
- Arsenal have won just one of their six visits to Brentford in all competitions (D1 L4), though this will be the first such meeting since May 1947.
- Brentford will be the 50th different team to play in the Premier League, and the 10th from London. Just 11 of the previous 49 participants have won their first ever game in the competition (D15 L23), while no side from the capital has won their first ever Premier League game (D5 L4).
- When kicking off their Premier League season away from home, Arsenal are unbeaten in seven games (W5 D2) since losing 0-1 at Sunderland in the 2000-01 campaign. The Gunners began last season with a 3-0 victory away against promoted side Fulham.
- Brentford against Arsenal is only the third ever game in Premier League history to be played on Friday the 13th - the other two games were in April 2001, with Bradford City winning 2-0 against Charlton Athletic and Leeds United beating Liverpool 2-1.