Liverpool, Chelsea and the Manchester clubs enter a new EPL season shaped by managerial changes, major moves and plenty of uncertainty
Arsenal kicks off the new Premier League season tomorrow, against promoted Coventry City, setting out to defend its title.
The EPL gets going with a full slate of games through Monday, the first weekend of a season that will run through May 30, 2027.
Arsenal enters the new season as favourite to repeat as champions.
In soccer betting at Betway, Arsenal is +125, followed by Manchester City at +350, Liverpool at +600, Manchester United at +700, and Chelsea at +800.
And Arsenal beefed up their squad – adding former Newcastle United captain Bruno Guimaraes, a midfielder. That’s a big reason Arsenal odds are sitting where they are.
“We’re hungrier than ever,” said Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, as they get ready to host Coventry at Emirates Stadium in London, at 3 p.m. EST.
At Betway, Arsenal is a heavy -600 favourite tomorrow, with Coventry City at +1200, and the draw at +650.
Manchester City is beginning the post-Pep Guardiola era, with Enzo Maresca taking over. Man City also enters the season without longtime midfield cornerstone Rodri.
Manchester City opens the season at home against Bournemouth on Sunday, 9 a.m. EST. Betway has Man City betting favourites at -223, Bournemouth at +450, and the draw at +400.
Another EPL futures story angle – Liverpool post-Mohamed Salah, who left the team at the end of the 2025-26 season, ending a nine-year run at Anfield. Last year was turbulent for Liverpool.
And they don’t exactly have a softball coming out of the gate this weekend – on the road against Newcastle, on Sunday, 11:30 a.m. EST.
At Betway, Liverpool is the favourite at -115, Newcastle is at +260, and the draw is at +280.
Is Liverpool an attractive buy-low opportunity at +600, or are they too volatile without Salah and with a new manager?
Chelsea has a new manager (Xabi Alonso) and spent heavily in the offseason, centring on Morgan Rogers as the centrepiece ($214 million CAD).
Chelsea has no European competition this season (Champions League, Europa League or Conference League), after finishing tenth in the EPL last season, meaning their schedule will be concentrated on the 38-team Premier League season plus England’s domestic cup competitions. That means less travel, more recovery time, and more time for Alonso to prepare his team between matches.
That’s an important point as you assess Chelsea at +800.
Chelsea opens the new season Monday on the road at Craven Cottage in London against Fulham, at 3 p.m. EST. Chelsea is -118 at Betway, Fulham is +260, and the draw is at +260.
Manchester United, under Michael Carrick, had a resurgence last season. Are they genuinely ready to challenge for the title, or is their future price being shortened by the size and enthusiasm of their betting/fan base?
They launch the season Saturday on the road against Hull City, 7:30 a.m. EST. Betway has Manchester United at -267, Hull City at +650, and the draw at +375.
Also, don’t forget the fact that nine of the 20 Premier League clubs enter the season with new managers. That means an unusual amount of uncertainty surrounding futures heading into the season.
The three promoted teams are Coventry City, Hull City and Ipswich Town.
