powered by record sprees premier league ready
Last Updated : GMT 09:07:40
Egypt Today, egypt today
Egypt Today, egypt today
Last Updated : GMT 09:07:40
Egypt Today, egypt today

for landmark season

Powered by record sprees, Premier League ready

Egypt Today, egypt today

Egypt Today, egypt today Powered by record sprees, Premier League ready

Powered by record sprees, Premier League ready
London - Egypt Today

uelled by an historically lavish spending spree, the Premier League returns on Friday when Arsenal host Leicester in the opening game of the hotly-anticipated new season.

Taking advantage of astronomical broadcast contracts and lucrative sponsorship deals, England's superpowers have been splashing the cash at an unprecedented rate.

Since the end of last season, transfer records have been shattered across the country as over one billion pounds has changed hands in a frenzy that could well set a new high for a single window.

While some fear the spending is unsustainable and will put clubs' long-term stability at risk, the 25th year of the Premier League era should deliver a title race more fiercely contested than ever.

Desperate to dethrone champions Chelsea, club record fees have been paid by Manchester United, who splurged a British record £75 million for Everton striker Romelu Lukaku, Arsenal, who forked out £52 million on Lyon forward Alexandre Lacazette and Liverpool, who put down £37 million for Roma winger Mohamed Salah.

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola set the tone with a series of early deals that took his spending in this window to an eye-watering £218 million.

Frustrated by City's failings in his trophyless first season in England, Guardiola has overhauled his squad with defenders Kyle Walker, Benjamin Mendy and Danilo, plus goalkeeper Ederson and playmaker Bernardo Silva.

Guardiola's old rival Jose Mourinho hasn't been shy about raiding the United coffers, with the Lukaku swoop headlining a £140 million spree that also brought Benfica defender Victor Lindelof and Chelsea midfielder Nemanja Matic to Old Trafford.

Mourinho won the league in his second seasons at Porto, Real Madrid and Inter Milan, as well as in both of his stints at Chelsea, but he expects this season's title race to be an almighty scrap.

"Normally the second season should be better than the first, but again, this is modern football. The reality is totally different," Mourinho said.

"It's getting much harder for everyone, so we don't know."

The no limits spending of Chelsea's title rivals prompted a tetchy response from Stamford Bridge, where boss Antonio Conte has been grumbling about his club's failure to land Lukaku and several other targets.

- No margin for error -

Even so, Conte has done his best to get billionaire Blues owner Roman Abramovich to throw his financial muscle behind Chelsea's title defence.

A club record £58 million lured Real Madrid forward Alvaro Morata from the European champions, while Tiemoue Bakayoko and Antonio Rudiger also joined Chelsea, whose spending climbed over £130 million.

Fans will get their first glimpse of how one of the contenders will fare when Arsenal, fresh from their Community Shield victory over Chelsea, face Leicester in the season opener at the Emirates Stadium.

Arsene Wenger brokered a fragile truce with Arsenal's dissenting fans by winning the FA Cup last season, but the Gunners boss has no margin for error after going 13 years without Premier League glory.

Last season was by far the most difficult of Wenger's 21-year reign, with Arsenal's on-pitch travails exposing him to furious protests from angry fans.

Having ended months of speculation by signing a new two-year contract, Wenger believes if his players put on a united front, the exasperated fans will fall into line behind them.

"A lot of the trouble was created by my own situation. Maybe I made a mistake," said Wenger, who will be without want-away Chile star Alexis Sanchez against Leicester due to injury.

"Overall I believe that it's down to us. The trend has always to come from the team."

The bulk of the opening weekend's fixtures will be played on Saturday and Sunday, with Chelsea starting at home to Burnley.

City travel to new-boys Brighton, back in the top tier after a 34-year absence, while United host West Ham.

Liverpool, trying to fend off Barcelona's interest in £100 million-rated forward Philippe Coutinho, are at Watford.

Despite finishing second last season, Tottenham, who face promoted Newcastle on Sunday, have boldly abstained from the spending and are yet to make a single signing.

The merits of that cautious approach should become clear throughout a fascinating season that serves as a referendum on the go for broke era.

Fixtures (1400 GMT unless stated):

Friday

Arsenal v Leicester (1845 GMT)

Saturday

Brighton v Manchester City (1630 GMT), Chelsea v Burnley, Crystal Palace v Huddersfield, Everton v Stoke, Southampton v Swansea, Watford v Liverpool (1130 GMT), West Brom v Bournemouth

Sunday

Manchester United v West Ham (1500 GMT), Newcastle v Tottenham

egypttoday
egypttoday

Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

powered by record sprees premier league ready powered by record sprees premier league ready



GMT 03:33 2016 Saturday ,24 September

Diesel Black Gold fashion show during Milan Fashion Week

GMT 11:12 2018 Wednesday ,03 October

Osaka saunters into China Open third round

GMT 03:18 2017 Tuesday ,10 January

Home Centre decides to go in for a fresh look

GMT 14:44 2017 Saturday ,06 May

Pharmaceutical industry

GMT 22:32 2016 Wednesday ,24 February

'Deadpool' upends competition at North America box office

GMT 06:44 2017 Friday ,17 March

Bowling, table tennis achievements lauded

GMT 18:11 2017 Saturday ,04 March

Violence claims lives of 18 people across Syria

GMT 11:50 2017 Tuesday ,03 October

Bahrain weather forecast

GMT 12:18 2016 Friday ,30 September

To the importance of Oscar Wilde

GMT 09:53 2012 Friday ,25 May

Amr Yousef heads to Kenya \'Al Montaqem\'

GMT 09:25 2017 Saturday ,07 October

Spain rejects mediation calls as Catalans plan

GMT 22:41 2017 Friday ,02 June

Actress Suzanne Najm Al Din received

GMT 23:52 2017 Tuesday ,03 January

Syrian peace process struggles as rebels

GMT 12:59 2011 Friday ,15 July

Tasting lump of ice with fruit frozen inside

GMT 16:50 2011 Wednesday ,31 August

Justice sues to stop AT&T, t-mobile merger

GMT 21:14 2012 Tuesday ,28 August

Hyundai Veloster turbo SE

GMT 11:50 2011 Friday ,08 July

Russia\'s VTB bank secures record $3.1 bn loan

GMT 07:01 2017 Tuesday ,26 December

Lorde cancels Israel show after pressure

GMT 00:12 2013 Wednesday ,18 September

Damascus clubbers dance on in bid to forget war

GMT 10:55 2011 Tuesday ,15 November

TRA participates in UNESCO General Conference

GMT 18:26 2014 Tuesday ,27 May

Samsung to introduce standalone smart watch

GMT 15:24 2016 Sunday ,07 August

Stranded kayaker rescued after crocodile attack
 
 Egypt Today Facebook,egypt today facebook  Egypt Today Twitter,egypt today twitter Egypt Today Rss,egypt today rss  Egypt Today Youtube,egypt today youtube  Egypt Today Youtube,egypt today youtube

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

egypttoday egypttoday egypttoday egypttoday
egypttoday egypttoday egypttoday
egypttoday
بناية النخيل - رأس النبع _ خلف السفارة الفرنسية _بيروت - لبنان
egypttoday, Egypttoday, Egypttoday