Image copyright: Getty Images
2024/25 English Premier League
Matchday 1
Chelsea v Manchester City
Stamford Bridge
London, England
Sunday, 18 August 2024
Kick-off is at 17h30
New Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca couldn't have asked for a tougher start to his tenure as he prepares to take on Pep Guardiola's Manchester City at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, August 18.
Maresca earned promotion with Leicester in May after winning the Championship title, but he took up the Blues' offer a few weeks later following the surprise departure of Mauricio Pochettino.
The West Londoners endured a largely disappointing campaign under Pochettino partly due to injuries, although results improved markedly towards the end of the season as they finished sixth on the back of a five-match winning streak.
Maresca has been tasked with improving their fortunes and winning silverware after the team reached the EFL Cup final and the FA Cup semi-finals in 2023-24.
Image copyright: Getty Images
The Citizens went on to make more history as they won the
Premier League title for a record fourth year running after finishing two points ahead of Arsenal.
Guardiola's side missed out on the domestic double as they suffered a 2-1 defeat to neighbours Manchester United in the FA Cup final, but got their revenge by winning the Community Shield on penalties.
City embarked on a 23-match unbeaten run to defend their crown and won nine on the spin to pip the Gunners to the coveted trophy.
Guardiola was encouraged by the performance of his players against the Red Devils in the Community Shield, given the lack of time he had with the full squad due to Euro 2024 and the Copa America.
"We could have lost today but of course I saw many things I liked," the Spaniard said.
"The first 35 minutes were beyond excellent for the time we have been together. Manuel [Akanji] and Ruben [Dias] played only three training sessions.
"We are still far from our best but that's normal. We have won a trophy and that is nice."
Image source: Alamy Stock Photo
Maresca is pleased with the progress made by the players since his arrival and believes the team will continue to grow in the coming weeks.
"I'm very happy because I can see that the team is improving, on the ball and off the ball," the Italian said after making his home bow in a 1-1 draw with Inter Milan on August 11.
"Once again today we created six or seven clear chances. We just scored one but it is important to create chances and for sure we are going to score more.
"Then, apart from the goal we conceded when we did a small mistake, off the ball the team was very aggressive in recovery and closing down the ball.
"Absolutely we can see clear results from our work. Today we could see that we tried to keep the ball. Inter are special at defending, but for sure the team is already doing well.
"It's the most important thing, for sure. With time this team is going to get better and better. We started just one month ago so I can see clearly that the team is improving."
Head-to-Head (Last Five Premier League Meetings)
Matches - 5
Arsenal wins -
Wolves wins -
Draws -
Premier League Matchday 1 fixtures:
Friday, August 16
21h00: Manchester United v Fulham
Saturday, August 17
13h30: Ipswich Town v Liverpool
16h00: Arsenal v Wolverhampton Wanderers
16h00: Everton v Brighton & Hove Albion
16h00: Newcastle United v Southampton
16h00: Nottingham Forest v Bournemouth
18h30: West Ham United v Aston Villa
Sunday, August 18
15h00: Brentford v Crystal Palace
17h30: Chelsea v Manchester City
Monday, August 19
21h00: Leicester City v Tottenham Hotspur
Bet on the English Premier League
Kick off your sports betting journey & place a winning bet with our exciting Sports Welcome Offer where you’ll get up to R1,000 as a Free Bet when you make your first deposit.
Stand to win big with Live Games
Enjoy your favourite Live Casino Games from as little as R1 per bet with massive winning potential of up to R5 million on some selected games. Unlock all your favourite Live Games today and take a seat at your favourite tables to take on the dealer head-on.
For all the latest sports news, betting tips and promotions follow Betway on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram