- As Man United kick-off hostilities against Fulham at Old Trafford tonight
Touted as the most-watched sports league in the world, the English Premier League for the 2024/25 season flags off today, Friday, 16th August with pundits already predicting another season of the usual twists and turns.
Flaunting a record broadcast in 212 territories to 643 million homes, and a potential Television (TV) audience of 4.7 billion people, the season that usually run from August to May, with each team playing 38 matches, holds so much in terms of frills and thrills for football enthusiasts across the globe.
In the lead up to the opening round of fixtures this weekend, which kicks off today with the home fixture between last season’s biggest flops, Manchester United and Fulham inside Old Trafford’s Theatre of Dreams, a lot is still up in the air as to what could eventually happen when the season concludes.
From instant classics to fashion disappointments in team’s colours, expectations are huge from the opening weekend in terms of new managers, new players, new hopes and new dreams as the participating clubs ready themselves for another marathon honours-seeking season.
However, away from the football pitch, there are concerns this may turn out a Premier League season that will be decided in the courts. No thanks to the 115 charges brought against defending champions, Manchester City that would be heard in the coming months.
Interestingly, lawyers at the League’s Paddington Headquarters must have already circled in red pen September 16 as an all-important date. That day is the earliest the long-awaited independent hearing into the Cityzens’ 115 charges can effectively begin.
The process, as both City and the League point out, is confidential. But whatever the outcome, this could leave a sour taste in the mouth of fans and followers of the Premiership globally.
Whatever happens from now till the end of the case, the League must prepare itself for an earthquake. Also, there is no denying the fact that City enter this new season again as hot favourites seeking to defend their crown and also win the fifth straight EPL title in the process.
Pep Guardiola’s side became the first team to lift the English top flight on four consecutive occasions in May and that came off the back of winning five trophies in 2023.
So the big questions remain: “Who will be their main rivals this time around?”; and “Can anyone stop Manchester City?”
But for tonight’s highly anticipated clash at Old Trafford that marks the beginning of another exciting campaign in the England’s top flight, Manchester United are opening their campaign on home turf for the eighth successive season.
And the Red Devils’ ardent supporters are desperate getting off to a good start to erase the painful memories of their record-low 8th place finish on the table last season.
No doubt, in a situation where Fulham spring a surprise, it will certainly be a bad omen for Dutch Manager, Erik Ten-Hag and his men.
