Norwich enjoyed a welcome boost when hitting Bournemouth for six in the EFL Cup and are fancied to be competitive against Leicester. The Canaries had to endure a tough return to the Premier League when beaten by Liverpool and Manchester City but heads haven’t dropped.
Brentford have made a bright start to life in the Premier League but Aston Villa are rated a fair bit ahead of them in their development. Dean Smith’s side ended up a solid 11th last season and will be looking to finish in the top half of the table this term.
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West Ham and Leicester look set to do well again this season after finishing sixth and fifth respectively last term, with just one point between them. Both opened the new Premier League campaign with wins and are hard to split ahead of Monday night’s clash.
Liverpool are hard to oppose when hosting Burnley after these teams made contrasting starts to the new Premier League season. However, the Clarets did spring a surprise at Anfield last term and have managed to score on their past five visits to this venue.
Brighton only managed four home wins in the Premier League last season and, even with crowds back, offer little appeal at odds-on versus Watford. The Hornets claimed two consecutive draws at this venue before being relegated and return in good spirits.
Manchester City are expected to kick-start the defence of their Premier League title when entertaining promoted Norwich. The Canaries found Liverpool too hot to handle on their return to the top flight and face another daunting test at Etihad Stadium.
Bristol City have a good record in meetings with Swansea, winning three and drawing two of their last six head-to-head encounters. The Robins have also made the brighter start to this season’s Championship campaign, so the omens look good for Nigel Pearson’s men.
West Brom seem to have settled back into life in the Championship much better than Sheffield United and get the nod on home turf. Albion have been fragile at the back, but Valerien Ismael’s positive approach is paying off up front and that can prove decisive.
Fulham showed why they are favourites to top the Championship table with a big win at Huddersfield and can follow up at Millwall. The Lions kicked off their campaign with a couple of draws and will put up a fight, but the Cottagers have the class to come through.
Watford begin life back in the Premier League at Vicarage Road and will be aiming to start with a win in front of their own fans against Aston Villa. However, the Hornets head into the new campaign as one of the favourites in the top-flight relegation odds.
Leicester will be looking to build on their Community Shield win when entertaining Wolves in the opening round of Premier League fixtures. Wanderers begin a new era with Bruno Lage at the helm after Nuno Espirito Santo left the club at the end of last season.
Burnley and Brighton occupied the two places above the relegation zone last season and will be keen to get off to a fast start when they meet at Turf Moor on the opening weekend. The Clarets only picked up two points from their first seven matches last season.
Bundesliga action is back on Sky Sports this term, starting with an intriguing contest between Borussia Monchengladbach and Bayern Munich. The visitors are hot favourites to claim a 10th straight title triumph, but have lost at Borussia-Park for the last two seasons.