Premier League Tipsheet: Opening day best bets from 10/11 to 5/1

• The Gunners to start with a bang

• Hammers crisis to begin in earnest

• Newcastle and Villa to serve up goals galore

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Arsenal v Nottingham Forest (12:30) - Rinse and repeat

The Gunners flew out of the blocks last season, winning five in five, and it was Gabriel Martinelli who began proceedings with an early strike on the opening day. The Brazilian also struck first in Arsenal's 5-0 trouncing of Forest at the Emirates.

Leandro Trossard is another to watch, scorer of three goals in pre-season as he looks to continue a highly impactful first year in North London. Between late-Feb and late-May, the Belgian conjured up an assist every 78 minutes.

As for the visitors, they may have to wait before improving on last season's woeful away record, that saw them pick up a pitiful eight points.

Whether you believe pre-season friendlies are meaningful, or merely designed to get minutes in the legs, it hardly bodes well that Steve Cooper's men failed to score in five of their seven outings.

It's also pertinent that only Leeds racked up a higher card-count last term.

Bournemouth v West Ham (15:00) - Crisis comes early

There is a pervading sense of doom and gloom surrounding the Hammers right now, with David Moyes reportedly at loggerheads with the club's sporting director and their best players gone, or likely going. Defeats to Rennes and Leverkusen in the last fortnight have hardly helped matters either.

They could probably do without history weighing in then, but the past shows no mercy when it comes to the opening games of a season.
No top-flight club have lost more curtain-raisers than West Ham and, regarding Moyes, since 1992 the same goes for managers.

The Cherries premiere a new era of Iraola-ball at Dean Court this weekend and so much of the outcome of this fixture depends on how quickly - and to what extent - the players have acclimatized to Andoni Iraola's demanding ways.

Expect ferocious pressing from the off and for the visitors to swiftly succumb to a crisis many of us are anticipating from them.

Brighton v Luton (15:00) - Reality bites

The Hatters could have justifiably hoped for a less challenging introduction to the Premier League but there are faint reasons to be hopeful, not least an unbeaten away run in the Championship that dates back to December.

Moreover, Brighton lost half of their encounters with promoted sides last season.

Still, it's hard to look past a harsh reality check being doled out at the Amex, as the Seagulls continue their fluid and stylish De Zerbi-inspired brilliance.

It is an oft-quoted factoid that Brighton took on more shots than any side across Europe's big five leagues in 2022/23 and this resulted in them scoring in each of their last 16 league games, averaging 2.1 goals per 90 in the process.

And if they pick up where they left off, don't discount Joao Pedro enjoying a dream debut. Brighton's summer signing from Watford has already notched twice in pre-season.

Everton v Fulham (15:00) - Tale of two talisman

The probable availability of Dominic Calvert-Lewin is a huge boon for the Toffees, their injury-cursed striker playing 45 minutes here and there pre-season. Last term, Everton scored half of their slender number of league goals with the 26-year-old leading their line despite him being on the treatment table for the most part.

Regarding Fulham's talismanic forward, Aleksandar Mitrovic, there are far too many unknowns to consider. Reportedly training on his own, the Serb is pushing hard for a lucrative move to Saudi Arabia and he will just as likely fire a farewell hat-trick as strop his way to an early substitution.

If Fulham are fancied, go for Willian who has assisted four times in his last three opening day fixtures.

Expect goals to be at a premium at Goodison this weekend, and the same goes for corners, with both sides languishing in the bottom half of that particular table last year.

Sheff Utd v Crystal Palace (15:00) - Blunt Blades

The Blades were consistently difficult to break down at Bramall Lane last season, conceding 0.8 goals per 90 but if a well-drilled back-line will serve them well in the months ahead, problems are found at the other end.

In reluctantly losing Iliman Ndiaye and Sander Berge in recent weeks, United go into this new campaign minus four of their top five chance-creators who got them promoted.

Palace meanwhile go into battle without Wilfried Zaha for the first time in nine years and with Michael Olise injured for the foreseeable that places a great deal of pressure on Eberechi Eze to be a difference-maker.

Thankfully for the visitors, the newly capped England international can provide, posting seven goal involvements in nine at the tail-end of 2022/23 and boasting a decent record against the Blades, scoring twice at their expense previously.

Roy Hodgson's men have scored 14 of their last 20 in the second period. Give this one time.

Newcastle v Aston Villa (17:30) - Goals galore

Our own Mike Norman is tipping the Magpies to finish sixth this year, but given Villa's remarkable transformation under Unai Emery, they may have something to say about that.

Only Manchester City have picked up more points in 2023, a sustained run of excellence that includes a 3-0 thrashing of this weekend's opponents last April.

After spending wisely over the summer who's the say the Villans can't go from strength to strength but that is not to under-estimate the severe test that awaits them in the North-East.

Newcastle have enjoyed a prosperous and unbeaten pre-season, with Miguel Almiron and new signing Harvey Barnes looking especially sharp.

With these sides meeting up in Philadelphia three weeks ago, and treating onlookers to an entertaining 3-3 draw, let's go for goals at St James' Park and plenty of them.

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