Manchester United will commence their 2024/25 Premier League campaign at home against Fulham on Friday, while Manchester City starts their title defense at Chelsea, who have been heavily investing, on Sunday.

New Liverpool manager Arne Slot will face the scrutiny of his first competitive match against newly promoted Ipswich on Saturday, succeeding Jurgen Klopp. Manchester United's unexpected FA Cup final victory over Manchester City in May significantly contributed to Erik ten Hag retaining his position at Old Trafford. Supported by United's new football operations led by British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe, Ten Hag received a contract extension until 2026. The arrivals of Leny Yoro, Joshua Zirkzee, Matthijs De Ligt, and Noussair Mazraoui have bolstered Ten Hag's squad for approximately £150 million ($192 million). However, after finishing eighth last season—United's poorest Premier League performance ever—Ten Hag requires a swift start to the new season to quash doubts about his leadership.

Fulham secured a historic win at Old Trafford for the first time in 20 years last February. A repeat performance on Friday could instill fear among United fans of another forgettable season. Meanwhile, Arne Slot's Premier League debut with Liverpool is challenging as they visit Ipswich, who have returned to the top-flight after 22 years and are high on confidence following consecutive promotions. Liverpool has yet to make any signings in the transfer window but has been impressive in pre-season, defeating Arsenal, United, and Sevilla. A win at Portman Road would offer solace to Liverpool fans adjusting to the end of Klopp's illustrious tenure. The Reds could then gain momentum with an easy fixture list leading up to the October international break. However, Ipswich defender Axel Tuanzebe is optimistic about maintaining Ipswich's strong home record over the past two seasons.

"We're going to give it our all," Tuanzebe stated to the BBC. "They're just human; it's just 11 versus 11 on the pitch. Few teams win at Portman Road, and we aim to keep it that way." New Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca faces a daunting task against his former club. Maresca was part of Pep Guardiola's coaching staff at City before guiding Leicester to promotion last season. He inherits a turbulent situation at Stamford Bridge with a bloated first-team squad of over 50 players and uncertainty surrounding most of them. Chelsea's problems were evident in a difficult pre-season, including a 4-2 loss to City in the USA. In contrast, Guardiola's champions have seen minimal changes. Brazilian winger Savinho is the sole new addition, while Argentine forward Julian Alvarez left for Atletico Madrid this week. City's England trio of Kyle Walker, John Stones, and Phil Foden, along with Spanish midfielder Rodri, only returned to training this week after participating in the Euro 2024 final and are unlikely to start against Chelsea.

Fixtures:

Friday (UAE Time)

Manchester United v Fulham (2300)

Saturday

Ipswich v Liverpool (1530), Arsenal v Wolves, Everton v Brighton, Newcastle v Southampton, Nottingham Forest v Bournemouth (all 1800), West Ham v Aston Villa (2030)

Sunday

Brentford v Crystal Palace (1700), Chelsea v Manchester City (1930)

Monday

Leicester v Tottenham (2300)