READY OR NOT, HERE COMES ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE FOR 35th YEAR

 The world’s best (most competitive, top to bottom) soccer … 

sorry … futbol circuit, English Premier League, begins its 35th

 season today with defending champion Arsenal at home with 

Coventry City, with air time 3 p.m., on NBC.


This will be the first of 380 games through Sept. 30. Tomorrow, 

Manchester United opens at Ipswich (7:30 a.m., USA) while 

Liverpool goes to Newcastle (11:30 a.m..USA). Sunday, a main 

matchup (9 a.m., Peacock) features Bournemouth at 

Manchester City which, for the first time in 10 years, will not 

be coached by PEP GUARDIOLA who surprisingly resigned 

ostensibly to take some time off. 


Monday, on USA (3 p.m.) Fulham entertains Chelsea, under 

new coach XABI ALONSO who, as of Thursday, wasn’t sure 

if ENZO FERNANDEZ would be available. A standout for 

Argentina’s Cup runnerup, he’s said to be bound for Man City 

… which, to date, hasn’t been willing to pay asking price of a 

mere 120 million pounds.


Coached by former Premier star FRANK LAMPARD,

 Covenrty City returns to the top division for the first time in 25 

years … and joins Hull City and Ipswich Town to move up and 

replace the Wolves, Burnley and West Ham that finished at the 

bottom a season ago and therefore were relegated down.


Hull City returns after 10 years, having spent most of the past 

nine reasons in the second-tier Championship. Like Coventry 

an original member of the Premier, Ipswich didn’t last long in 

the Championship after being relegated after the 2024-25 

season. The Tractor Boys got automatic promotion by finishing 

second. 


There are nine new coaches including ENZO MARESCA at 

Man City which still has ERLING HAALANDS, World Cup 

scoring whiz for Norway … but lost RODRI, named Cup MVP 

for champion Spain. He moved to Barcelona FC.



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