Table of contents for 8-Aug-2017 in MATCH!

THE CITY... ISAAC SAYS: “Before I joined, I knew all about the fans and their expectations, and when I signed it was exactly as I expected! Whether you’re going shopping or just out, everywhere you go it’s football, football, football!” THE GROUND... ISAAC SAYS: “Our average attendance last season was just over 51,000, so that tells its own story. When we beat Norwich 4-3 in the last minute, I’ve never been in a better atmosphere! I’ve been all around Europe, and Newcastle is the best atmosphere I’ve heard!” THE FANS... ISAAC SAYS: “The Gallowgate End is definitely the part of the ground where, if you’re not putting a shift in, they let you know about it! They have a few songs, but lately it’s been all about the manager because…

MANAGER Eddie Howe CAPTAIN Simon Francis STADIUM Vitality Stadium LAST SEASON 9th BIG SEASON FOR… Jordon Ibe The Cherries smashed their transfer record when they got Ibe for £15 million last summer! The speedster didn’t bag a single goal or assist in 2016-17 though, so he’ll want to prove he’s no flop! ONE TO WATCH… Josh King Norway star King ripped up the Premier League in the second half of last season – 13 of his 16 goals came in 2017! Playing just behind Defoe, The Cherries could be unstoppable in 2017-18! STAR PLAYER Jermain Defoe Defoe is returning to the club where it all began! Back in 2000, the goal king joined The Cherries on loan from West Ham and went on to rip net 18 times in the…

MANAGER Antonio Conte CAPTAIN Gary Cahill STADIUM Stamford Bridge LAST SEASON 1st BIG SEASON FOR… Michy Batshuayi The Belgium hero only started one Prem game after his big-money move from Marseille last summer, but still scored five goals – including the title winner at West Brom! He defo needs more games this year! ONE TO WATCH… Lewis Baker Baker’s return from a two-year loan at Vitesse has gone under the radar a bit, but this could be his breakout year! With Chalobah and Loftus-Cheek gone, the skilful CM should get more opportunities! STAR PLAYER Eden Hazard After struggling in 2015-16, the wing wizard was back to his brilliant best last season with 16 Prem goals and five assists. If he can maintain his red-hot form over the season, he’ll prove…

MANAGER David Wagner CAPTAIN Mark Hudson STADIUM John Smith’s Stadium LAST SEASON 5th (Championship) STAR PLAYER Aaron Mooy The Australia CM was The Terriers’ Player Of The Year last season as the Yorkshire club got promoted, so it was no surprise to see them smash their transfer record to sign him permanently! His passing helps them boss opponents in the middle of the park! HOW THEY’LL LINE UP Town have made tons of new signings, but only Lossl, Zanka, Mooy and Ince look certain starters. Ince and Kachunga will interchange behind the striker – where Palmer can play too – while Mounie and Depoitre will battle for the No.9 spot! LAST SEASON IN NUMBERS THE VERDICT Not many promoted teams make as many early signings as Huddersfield, but although…

MANAGER Pep Guardiola CAPTAIN Vincent Kompany STADIUM Etihad Stadium LAST SEASON 3rd BIG SEASON FOR… Ederson Any player that moves for big money will be under pressure to show the fans he’s worth it, and Ederson cost a huge £35 million! Has Guardiola finally bought the top-class keeper he’s been looking for? ONE TO WATCH… Gabriel Jesus If we could only select one breakout star to keep an eye on this season, Gabriel would definitely be it! The fact that Aguero’s place as City’s No.1 striker is in danger tells you everything you need to know! STAR PLAYER Kevin De Bruyne We don’t think De Bruyne got the praise he deserved last season! He topped the assists charts and played over 100 key passes, but still failed to make the…

MANAGER Mauricio Pellegrino CAPTAIN Steven Davis STADIUM St. Mary’s LAST SEASON 8th STAR PLAYER Nathan Redmond Redz’ quality performances last season earned him an England call-up, and we think the speedy dribbler will go up another gear in 2017-18! If he improves on his goal tally of seven, there’s no reason why the winger can’t become a regular for The Three Lions! HOW THEY’LL LINE UP With Van Dijk heading for the exit door, it looks like The Saints will start the season how they finished the last with Stephens and Yoshida at the back. We can’t wait to see Gabbiadini in his preferred No.10 role, just behind lethal finisher Austin! LAST SEASON IN NUMBERS THE VERDICT 2016-17 saw Southampton finish best of the rest, and we think they’ll…

18 Reigning champions Chelsea have the best Premier League opening day record – they haven’t lost in 18 years! 10 Everton love a draw! The Toffees have tied their last four, and ten in total – more than any other Prem team! 1 Stoke’s record is shocking – they’ve only won their first game of the season once since they were promoted back in 2008! 11 West Ham hate drawing their first fixture – they’ve only drawn once since 1994! 0 Burnley, Watford and Bournemouth are still waiting for their first ever opening day wins in the Prem! 7 This is the seventh season in a row Spurs will have started their Premier League season away from home!…

DJ ISAAC SAYS: “That’s keeper Karl Darlow. He’s got quite a few DJ friends, so a lot of the mixes we use in the changing room are from those guys!” BEST DRESSER ISAAC SAYS: “I’ll give it to DeAndre Yedlin. He’s got avery different style, and he wears a lot of outlandish stuff, but he pulls it off!” WORST DRESSER ISAAC SAYS: “There are a few candidates for this! I get killed to be fair, because I just wear my Puma tracksuit all the time!” SOCIAL MEDIA ADDICT ISAAC SAYS: “Achraf Lazaar, the left-back. He’s always doing Instagram and Snapchat videos. He’s a nightmare!” CLUB JOKER ISAAC SAYS: “Dwight Gayle is always having a laugh – and it’s usually Matt Ritchie who’s on the receiving end of his banter!”…

QR CODE EXPLAINED This is a QR code – just scan it with your phone or tablet to watch each video clip on YouTube. Here’s how to do it: Download and install a free QR Code reader from the app or android store. Hold your phone or tablet over the QR code and you’ll be sent to the clip. Easy! WORST SHOOTOUT EVER? WaelSports If you haven’t seen the penalty shootout between Man. United and Real Madrid from last month, you really need to – it was shocking! Over half of the spot-kicks were missed! USAIN BOLT ON PES 2018! officialpes The fastest man in the world will be on the next PES game – check out the trailer of him in action! KIT CHAT! Copa90 The Copa90 lads caught…

MANAGER Chris Hughton CAPTAIN Bruno STADIUM Amex Stadium LAST SEASON 2nd (Championship) STAR PLAYER Anthony Knockaert Knockaert has been the best player in the Championship for the last couple of seasons, and now he needs to prove that he’s good enough to step up to the Prem! If Brighton are going to stay up, they’ll need their most creative player to be at his best! HOW THEY’LL LINE UP The Seagulls lined up with a 4-4-2 in the Championship, but this year they might try to outnumber Prem midfields with new signings Brown or Gross as a No.10. Record signing Mat Ryan will be kept busy in goal, so he’ll need to make a good start! LAST SEASON IN NUMBERS THE VERDICT The Seagulls were outstanding last season, but the…

MANAGER Frank de Boer CAPTAIN Jason Puncheon STADIUM Selhurst Park LAST SEASON 14th BIG SEASON FOR… Jason Puncheon Punch was named as Palace’s new skipper for 2017-18, so now he’ll have to re-pay boss De Boer with loads of top-quality displays. He’ll need to improve on last season – he didn’t score a single goal! ONE TO WATCH… Ruben Loftus-Cheek After warming Chelsea’s bench for years, now is RLC’s time to shine! He might struggle to become a regular starter in midfield straight away, but we’re backing him to get much more game time in 2017-18! STAR PLAYER Christian Benteke 15 Prem goals by the Belgium beast helped keep Palace up last season, and Eagles fans will be hoping for more of the same in 2017-18! The giant striker’s monster…

MANAGER Craig Shakespeare CAPTAIN Wes Morgan STADIUM King Power Stadium LAST SEASON 12th STAR PLAYER Jamie Vardy Vardy is crucial to Leicester – and not just because he’s been their top scorer for the past two seasons. His pace and work-rate up front sets the tone for The Foxes, and that’s why the striker is such a nightmare to play against for opposition defences! HOW THEY’LL LINE UP Under Shakespeare, Leicester returned to the 4-4-2 formation that won them the title. Iborra will add goals to the midfield so they’re not so reliant on the front two, while Maguire and Chilwell will give much-needed youth to the back four! LAST SEASON IN NUMBERS THE VERDICT If they can re-discover the spirit from their title-winning season, Leicester will be a…

MANAGER Jose Mourinho CAPTAIN Michael Carrick STADIUM Old Trafford LAST SEASON 6th BIG SEASON FOR… Romelu Lukaku The most expensive striker in Prem history is under big pressure this year! Rom will be expected to match last season’s tally of 25 goals, fit into the team straight away and deliver big trophies! ONE TO WATCH… Axel Tuanzebe Tuanzebe was thrown in at the deep end when he made his Prem debut at The Emirates in May, but he turned in a top class performance! Although he played right-back that day, his future’s in central midfield! STAR PLAYER Paul Pogba 2016-17 was a mixed season for the £89 million man, but he ended it by scoring in the Europa League final! His physicality, technique and passing are world class, and we…

MANAGER Mark Hughes CAPTAIN Ryan Shawcross STADIUM bet365 Stadium LAST SEASON 13th STAR PLAYER Xherdan Shaqiri The Stoke winger has been key in changing The Potters from a long-ball team to one that plays decent footy! His dribbling, long shots and match-winning ability will be even more important now forward Marko Arnautovic has been sold to West Ham! HOW THEY’LL LINE UP Stoke will continue in a 4-2-3-1 this season, but the personnel will differ slightly. Zouma comes in at CB, Fletcher replaces Whelan in midfield, Sobhi will get a run on the left wing and Berahino has the chance to justify his mega price tag up front! LAST SEASON IN NUMBERS THE VERDICT Stoke have finished in mid-table ever since their Prem promotion in 2008, but unless Berahino,…

MANAGER Mauricio Pochettino CAPTAIN Hugo Lloris STADIUM Wembley LAST SEASON 2nd BIG SEASON FOR… Kieran Trippier After Kyle Walker made the move north to Man. City, the time has come for Trippier to really lock down Spurs’ RB slot! Five assists in six starts last season suggests the ex-Claret will be up to the task! ONE TO WATCH… Dele Alli There’s no doubt Alli is the Prem’s No.1 wonderkid! The PFA Young POTY for the last two seasons has bagged 44 goals and assists combined in that time, and the awesome attacker will only get better! STAR PLAYER Harry Kane The two-times Prem Golden Boot winner will be looking to carry on where he left off last season – he scored 15 goals in his final ten games! If the…

MANAGER Tony Pulis CAPTAIN Jonny Evans STADIUM The Hawthorns LAST SEASON 10th STAR PLAYER Jay Rodriguez At just £12 million, we think The Baggies have got a steal in landing J-Rod! Injuries have hurt his career, but when fit, the England one-cap wonder scores goals! In his last injury-free season, he ripped net 15 times in the Premier League. Can he find that form again? HOW THEY’LL LINE UP West Brom should stick to the system they played last season, with Rodriguez slotting into the No.10 role. McClean, Chadli and Morrison are all pushing to start, while McAuley is a doubt for the opening day, so new boy Hegazi could play in defence! LAST SEASON IN NUMBERS THE VERDICT Tony Pulis hasn’t been that active in the market so…

PHIL BARDSLEY Stoke to Burnley £1.5 million IZZY BROWN Chelsea to Brighton Loan MIKEL MERINO Dortmund to Newcaslte Loan ASHLEY FLETCHER West Ham to Middlesbrough £6.5 million NEMANJA MATIC Chelsea toMan. United £40 million DARREN RANDOLPH West Ham to Middlesbrough £5 million DARYL MURPHY Newcastle to Nottingham Forest £2 million KEVIN STEWART Liverpool to Hull £5.4 million MICHAEL HECTOR Chelsea to Hull Loan TOMAS KALAS Chelsea toFulham Loan LEWIS GRABBAN Bournemouth to Sunderland Loan ALEKSANDAR KOLAROV Man. City to Roma £4.5 million…

adidas ®  NEMEZIZ 17+ 360 Agility Boots We loved the NEMEZIZ kicks when they first launched at the end of last season, and now they’ve got a fresh paint job for the new campaign. Epic! Price: £279.95 adidas.co.uk/football Bournemouth 2017-18 Away Shirt Say hello to The Cherries’ new light blue away top for this season. A classic! Shirt Price: TBC umbro.co.uk Man. City 2017-18 Away Shirt Can the Premier League giants bag the title in this ace purple number? Shirt Price: £60 lovellsoccer.co.uk Man. United 2017-18 Third Shirt Check out United’s fan-designed third shirt, which pays tribute to club legends Sir Bobby Charlton, George Best and Denis Law. Class! Shirt Price: £65 lovellsoccer.co.uk Arsenal 2017-18 Away Shirt Feast your eyes on Arsenal’s first proper all-blue away shirt since the…

MANAGER Arsene Wenger CAPTAIN Per Mertesacker STADIUM Emirates Stadium LAST SEASON 5th BIG SEASON FOR… Alexandre Lacazette All eyes will be on Arsenal’s record signing to see if he can fire them to the title! Will he follow in the footsteps of club legend Thierry Henry, or will he be another victim of The Gunners’ cursed No.9 shirt? ONE TO WATCH… Rob Holding We saw glimpses of how good defender Holding was towards the end of last season when Arsenal switched to a back three, and he should be even better in 2017-18. An England call-up might not be far away! STAR PLAYER Alexis Sanchez There’s been tons of gossip about the Chile forward’s future all summer, but The Gunners are desperate not to sell because he’s their main match-winner.…

MANAGER Sean Dyche CAPTAIN Tom Heaton STADIUM Turf Moor LAST SEASON 16th STAR PLAYER Tom Heaton The England goalkeeper has been outstanding in the last few seasons for The Clarets! He made an incredible 11 saves in just one match at Old Trafford last season, and more performances like that in 2017-18 will mean Burnley will be hard to score against! HOW THEY’LL LINE UP Dyche is a big fan of the 4-4-2. The Clarets will line up as they did last season, with newbies Walters, Bardsley, Taylor and Cork slotting into the XI. It will be a big season for Tarkowski, who has to step into Michael Keane’s shoes at centre-back! LAST SEASON IN NUMBERS THE VERDICT If The Clarets can make Turf Moor a fortress again in 2017-18,…

MANAGER Ronald Koeman CAPTAIN Phil Jagielka STADIUM Goodison Park LAST SEASON 7th BIG SEASON FOR… Wayne Rooney 2017-18 is a huge campaign for Wazza in many ways! The 31-year-old is fighting for his place on the plane to Russia, while he’ll be keen to perform at his best for the team he supported growing up! ONE TO WATCH… Sandro Ramirez Ex-Barça wonderkid Sandro hit 14 goals in La Liga last season – more than any other player aged 21 or under! All eyes will be on him to see if he can replace the departed Romelu Lukaku’s goals! STAR PLAYER Idrissa Gueye Gueye made more tackles, blocked more shots and committed fewer fouls than PFA POTY N’Golo Kante last season, so it’s no surprise Toffees supporters rate him so highly!…

MANAGER Jurgen Klopp CAPTAIN Jordan Henderson STADIUM Anfield LAST SEASON 4th BIG SEASON FOR… Mohamed Salah The Egypt winger was called a flop after failing to make it in his first spell in the Prem at Chelsea, but after two and a half seasons of ripping it up in Italy, the speedster’s ready to prove the doubters wrong! ONE TO WATCH… Dominic Solanke The striker bagged the Golden Ball as England won the U20 World Cup in the summer, and now he’s ready to make his mark on the Prem! He couldn’t break through at Chelsea, but Klopp rates him big-time! STAR PLAYER Philippe Coutinho No wonder Barça have been linked with an £80 million bid for Coutinho – the Samba star is one of the best playmakers in the…

MANAGER Rafa Benitez CAPTAIN Jamaal Lascelles STADIUM St. James’ Park LAST SEASON 1st (Championship) STAR PLAYER Jonjo Shelvey Shelvey’s struggled for top flight consistency over the years, but there’s no doubt that on his day he’s one of the best passers in the country. If he can find top form, he’ll boss games for Newcastle, and an England recall could be just around the corner! HOW THEY’LL LINE UP With transfers still to be done and Rafa’s rotation policy, expect plenty of changes at St. James’ Park this season. Manquillo, Clark, Merino, Colback, Diame, Atsu, Perez and Mitrovic could all challenge the first XI for game time! LAST SEASON IN NUMBERS THE VERDICT With a world-class gaffer like Rafa Benitez in charge, Newcastle should definitely avoid the drop. But…

MANAGER Paul Clement CAPTAIN Leon Britton STADIUM Liberty Stadium LAST SEASON 15th STAR PLAYER Gylfi Sigurdsson 22 Prem goals and assists combined last season have made Gylfi hot property! The Swans have already rejected mega bids from Everton and Leicester for him because they want to keep the Iceland star’s goals, creativity and free-kick skills at The Liberty! HOW THEY’LL LINE UP Swansea will change systems from a lone striker to two up top in 2017-18 so Abraham can partner last season’s top scorer Llorente! Mesa replaces the departed Cork in midfield, with Ki, Routledge and Ayew offering good options off the bench! LAST SEASON IN NUMBERS THE VERDICT The Swans just escaped relegation in 2016-17 after a good end to the season, but they might struggle to repeat…

MANAGER Marco Silva CAPTAIN Troy Deeney STADIUM Vicarage Road LAST SEASON 17th STAR PLAYER Etienne Capoue Watford signed CM Capoue for £6.3 million two years ago, and he’s proved to be a proper bargain! Only captain Troy Deeney bagged more goals for The Hornets last season than the midfield boss, while no outfield player started more games. Hero! HOW THEY’LL LINE UP In 2016-17, Watford tried 11 different formations, while new gaffer Marco Silva was always changing his line-up at Hull. We predict a 4-1-4-1 set-up, with summer signings Femenia, Cleverley and Chalobah all getting the nod for the first XI! LAST SEASON IN NUMBERS THE VERDICT MATCH really rates new manager Marco Silva, but a lack of top-quality signings this summer means we reckon The Hornets will finish…

MANAGER Slaven Bilic CAPTAIN Mark Noble STADIUM London Stadium LAST SEASON 11th STAR PLAYER Manuel Lanzini Lanzini really stepped up last season to fill the shoes of Dimitri Payet, and we think he’ll be even better this time around! His new attacking team-mates Javier Hernandez and Marko Arnautovic will really benefit from the ace playmaker’s creativity! HOW THEY’LL LINE UP The Hammers sometimes play a back three, while Hernandez and Arnautovic will give them plenty of options in attack, so boss Bilic will have a choice of formations to use this season. If he stays fit, Andy Carroll will be an awesome super sub too! LAST SEASON IN NUMBERS THE VERDICT With the experience of Zabaleta and Hart at the back, and the quality of Arnautovic and Hernandez in…