The Premier League is back — and Sunday's second round of fixtures promises to deliver the kind of drama and storylines that make this league the most watched in the world. After a mixed bag of opening day results, several clubs will be looking to get their first points on the board, while others will be hoping to build momentum from a winning start. Here are five games you should be watching on Matchday 2.
Brighton vs Aston Villa
This is the fixture that catches the eye first. Brighton under their new setup have been an intriguing watch in pre-season, pressing aggressively and moving the ball with the kind of confidence you'd expect from a settled side. Aston Villa, meanwhile, carry all the weight of expectation that comes with a summer of significant investment. Ollie Watkins is fit and sharp after his World Cup, Unai Emery has had a full pre-season to bed in his ideas, and Villa will travel to the south coast believing they have the quality to win. Brighton at home are a different beast, though. Expect this to be tight, competitive, and decided by the smallest of margins.
Manchester City vs Bournemouth
The champions get their first home game of the new campaign and they'll be expected to handle Bournemouth comfortably — but home fans will have noticed a slightly anxious undercurrent after a difficult opening day. This is the kind of game where Pep Guardiola's side need to get back to basics: control the tempo, be clinical in front of goal, and make the Etihad a fortress from the first whistle. Bournemouth, to their credit, are a well-organised side who won't simply roll over. Their summer business has been smart and Andoni Iraola will have his team prepared and compact. Still, if City are anywhere near their best, this should be three points for the hosts.
Newcastle vs Liverpool
The Magpies still haven't fully recovered from losing Anthony Gordon to Barcelona — even if the money was difficult to turn down. Their opening day showed flashes of quality but also some vulnerability in wide areas that Gordon used to cover. Liverpool come into this on the back of a commanding win in Matchday 1 and will be full of confidence. Mohamed Salah in particular looks like a man with a point to prove after signing that new contract. St James' Park will be rocking, the noise will be immense, and Eddie Howe will set his team up to be difficult to play against. If Newcastle nick something, it would be a genuine statement.
Arsenal vs Wolves
Arsenal's start to the season has a sense of settled purpose about it. Mikel Arteta's squad has matured in a way that even last season's side hadn't quite achieved, and the early signs suggest this team is playing with greater efficiency in front of goal. Wolves, having finished in the bottom half, will be doing everything they can just to stay on the right side of the relegation battle this year. Arsenal should have too much quality here — but Wolves are scrappy and competitive and they won't make it easy.
Everton vs Crystal Palace
This might be the most evenly matched fixture of the round and could easily be the most entertaining. Both clubs carry question marks — Everton still finding their footing under their relatively new setup at the Bramley-Moore Dock, Palace steady under Oliver Glasner but still needing to turn performances into points more consistently. Expect a proper, physical, hard-fought match with the crowd getting behind their team from the first minute. These are the games that define early-season form tables — and both managers will know it.
Matchday 2 kicks off at midday with several games staggered across the afternoon and evening. You can catch all the action on Sky Sports and the Premier League's official streaming service. Make sure you don't miss a minute of it.
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