Arsenal begin their Premier League title defence on Friday as the clear favorites to retain the championship, but their first assignment is a Coventry City side returning to the top flight after a 25-year absence.

Arsenal set the early pace

The champions have made the strongest possible start to the new campaign, beating Manchester City 3-0 in the Community Shield. Arsenal are priced as short as +130 to retain the title in the United States market, with Betfair listing them at 6/5 in the United Kingdom.

Manager Mikel Arteta has framed the challenge as an attack on the next title rather than a cautious attempt to defend the last one. Arsenal have preserved their key players, added depth and entered the season with momentum, making them the most convincing title choice before the opening round.

The Athletic’s opening-week prediction also favors Arsenal at home to Coventry. The forecast describes Coventry’s promotion as a remarkable achievement, but expects Arsenal’s quality to prove decisive. Martin Odegaard is expected to influence the match after looking back to his best, while Bukayo Saka is tipped to benefit from a summer in which his role for England was limited.

Uncertainty clouds Arsenal’s main challengers

Manchester City are the second favorites at around +350, but Pep Guardiola’s departure and Rodri’s exit have created significant uncertainty at the Etihad. New manager Enzo Maresca is reshaping the squad, while Erling Haaland remains the leading Golden Boot favorite despite questions over the support around him. City open at home against Bournemouth on Sunday.

Liverpool are priced at approximately +600 and are viewed as the most interesting outsider. Andoni Iraola has replaced Arne Slot, with Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak expected to take on prominent roles. Liverpool’s season begins away to Newcastle, another club undergoing major change after Eddie Howe’s departure and the exits of Sandro Tonali, Bruno Guimaraes and Anthony Gordon. Despite the upheaval, the opening prediction backs Liverpool to win.

Chelsea, priced at +800, start under Xabi Alonso against Fulham in Monday’s west London derby. The new manager has added experience with Danny Welbeck and Jordan Henderson, while João Pedro, Cole Palmer and Morgan Rogers are expected to supply attacking creativity. Chelsea are predicted to win at Craven Cottage.

Manchester United are longer-priced at +900 and face a difficult away match against promoted Hull City. Michael Carrick’s team showed encouraging signs during his interim spell, but United finished 14 points behind Arsenal last season and now must also manage Champions League commitments. The opening forecast nevertheless gives United an away victory.

Draws expected elsewhere in Gameweek One

The opening predictions call for Everton to beat Crystal Palace, while Ipswich Town and Sunderland are backed to share the points. Nottingham Forest versus Leeds, Brentford versus Tottenham and Brighton versus Aston Villa are also forecast as draws.

The revamped weekly predictions competition will ask participants to select a home win, away win or draw for each of the 10 matches. Correct picks earn three points, with a five-point bonus available for predicting every result correctly in a gameweek.