Dugout Sign up
Dugout · Premier League · Gameweek 1

Ten Premier League openers, predicted: Liverpool's grip on Newcastle and Coventry's return at Arsenal

Ten openers to call before the crowd weighs in. Liverpool head to Newcastle having taken eight of the last ten between the sides, Coventry begin their return to the top flight at Arsenal, and the early data leans home at both Everton and Arsenal. Predict your XIs and shape the consensus. Build yours and move the consensus.

TL;DR The Oracle predicts an unchanged XI for 0 of 20 teams. Biggest changes: Arsenal: Kepa, Zubimendi, Hincapié, Madueke, Dowman, Martinelli, Jesus in · Ipswich: Walton, Johnson, Taylor, Matusiwa, Clarke, Philogene, Hirst in · Coventry: Kesler-Hayden, Latibeaudiere, Bidwell, Torp, Eccles in, and 17 more sides make changes.

Arsenal v Coventry

Fri 21 Aug, 20:00 · EPL
FULL TIME Arsenal 3 - 0 Coventry
Arsenal The Oracle called 4 of 11 · the crowd called 10 of 11
Coventry The Oracle called 6 of 11 · the crowd called 8 of 11

The crowd takes it: 18 starters called to the machine's 10.

Predicted XIs below are shown as called before team news, kept for the record.

Arsenal
👥 The Crowd 124 fans 4-4-2
1 Raya
4 ? White
6 Gabriel
3 ? Mosquera
33 ? Calafiori
7 Saka
8 Ødegaard
41 Rice
17 ? Tzolis
29 ? Havertz
14 ? Gyökeres
90%+ locked strong split

The Oracle and the crowd agree on 3 of 11.

Coventry
👥 The Crowd 15 fans 4-4-2
19 ? Rushworth
27 Ewijk
4 Thomas
15 ? Kitching
3 Dasilva
6 Grimes
16 ? Onyeka
7 ? Sakamoto
36 ? Yirenkyi
10 ? Mason-Clark
17 ? Tchaouna
90%+ locked strong split

The Oracle and the crowd agree on 4 of 11.

The data: Favours Arsenal at 50%. Arsenal are without Saliba.

Arsenal: Out: Saliba (back injury), Timber (ankle injury), Guimarães (thigh injury)

Coventry: Out: Wright (muscle injury), Woolfenden (injury) · Doubtful: Mason-Clark (muscle injury), Rudoni (shoulder injury), Onyeka (knock)

Hull v Man UTD

Sat 22 Aug, 12:30 · EPL
FULL TIME Hull 2 - 0 Man UTD
Hull The Oracle called 8 of 11, formation spot on
Man UTD The Oracle called 6 of 11, formation spot on · the crowd called 8 of 11

Predicted XIs below are shown as called before team news, kept for the record.

Hull City Cold start 2 to go
🔮 The Oracle 3-4-2-1
12 Phillips
6 Ajayi
15 Egan
37 McNair
2 Coyle
27 Slater
25 Crooks
3 Giles
10 Belloumi
7 Millar
9 McBurnie
▲ Phillips, McNair, Millar vs their last official XI

First call, 10 days ago

I. Pandur has left the club and C. Hughes is ruled out, opening the door for D. Phillips and P. McNair as Hull City take a 3-4-2-1 shape into the home fixture against Manchester United.

Manchester United
👥 The Crowd 100 fans 4-2-3-1
1 Lammens
2 Dalot
5 Maguire
6 ? Martínez
23 Shaw
18 ? Tielemans
37 ? Mainoo
8 Fernandes
10 Cunha
17 ? Santos
19 Mbeumo
90%+ locked strong split

The Oracle and the crowd agree on 7 of 11.

The data: Favours Man UTD at 50%. Hull are without Jacob.

Hull: Out: Jacob (hip injury), Butland (arm injury), Gelhardt (ankle injury), Gyabi (groin injury), Hughes (groin injury), Matazo (knee injury), Preciado (hamstring injury) · Doubtful: Morita (calf injury), Drameh (muscle injury)

Man UTD: Out: Ugarte (knee injury), Ligt (back injury), Heaton (injury) · Doubtful: Mount (foot injury), Darlow (surgery), Šeško (leg injury)

Ipswich v Sunderland

Sat 22 Aug, 15:00 · EPL
Ipswich Cold start 2 to go
🔮 The Oracle 4-2-3-1
28 Walton
18 Johnson
26 O'Shea
24 Greaves
3 Davis
14 Taylor
5 Matusiwa
47 Clarke
11 Philogene
23 Lukić
9 Hirst
▲ Walton, Johnson, Taylor, Matusiwa, Clarke, Philogene, Hirst vs their last official XI
! Taylor named despite a doubt (knee injury)! Matusiwa named despite a doubt (injury)

Revision 5, updated yesterday

The Oracle's fifth look: Lukić in; Fatawu out.

Ipswich rebuild after six departures, including departures of N. Broadhead (left the club), A. Tuanzebe (left the club), Sam Morsy (out on loan), J. Cajuste (out on loan), C. Chaplin (left the club), and O. Hutchinson (left the club). S. Lukić replaces A. Fatawu in a 4-2-3-1 shape.

Sunderland
👥 The Crowd 6 fans 4-2-3-1
22 Roefs
20 ? Mukiele
15 Alderete
5 Ballard
17 Reinildo
34 Xhaka
27 Sadiki
7 ? Talbi
28 Fée
32 ? Hume
9 Brobbey
90%+ locked strong split

The Oracle and the crowd agree on 9 of 11. The Oracle backs O'Nien and Angulo; the crowd wants Ballard and Talbi.

The data: Leans Ipswich at 33%, far from settled.

Ipswich: Doubtful: Matusiwa (injury), Taylor (knee injury)

Sunderland: Doubtful: Alderete (muscle injury), Meunier (back injury)

Forest v Leeds

Sat 22 Aug, 15:00 · EPL
Nottingham Forest
👥 The Crowd 8 fans 4-4-2
26 Sels
34 ? Aina
31 Milenković
2 ? Diomande
3 Williams
10 Gibbs-White
6 Sangaré
21 ? Schlager
5 Murillo
19 Jesus
11 ? Wood
90%+ locked strong split

The Oracle and the crowd agree on 7 of 11.

Leeds
👥 The Crowd 8 fans 4-4-2
1 Trafford
2 Bogle
5 Muharemović
6 Rodon
15 Bijol
11 Aaronson
18 Stach
17 Wilson
8 ? Longstaff
9 Calvert-Lewin
4 Ampadu
90%+ locked strong split

The Oracle and the crowd agree on 6 of 11.

The data: Leans Leeds at 45%, far from settled. Forest are without Savona.

Forest: Out: Savona (knee injury), Yates (injury)

Leeds: Out: Gudmundsson (hamstring injury), Gnonto (hamstring injury) · Doubtful: Gruev (knee injury), Perri (knock)

Everton v Crystal Palace

Sat 22 Aug, 15:00 · EPL
Everton
👥 The Crowd 19 fans 4-4-2
1 Pickford
15 O'Brien
6 Tarkowski
32 ? Branthwaite
16 Mykolenko
34 ? Röhl
30 Hackney
8 Dewsbury-Hall
10 Ndiaye
11 ? Barry
9 ? Beto
90%+ locked strong split

The Oracle and the crowd agree on 9 of 11. The Oracle backs Armstrong and Alcaraz; the crowd wants Hackney and Beto.

Crystal Palace
👥 The Crowd 7 fans 4-4-2
1 Henderson
2 Muñoz
6 ? Canvot
26 ? Richards
3 Mitchell
11 McNeil
18 Kamada
20 Wharton
10 Pino
7 Sarr
34 ? Riad
90%+ locked strong split

The Oracle and the crowd agree on 7 of 11.

The data: Favours Everton at 50%. Everton are without Garner.

Everton: Out: Garner (groin injury), Iroegbunam (muscle injury), Nørgaard (injury)

Crystal Palace: Doubtful: Henderson (ankle injury)

Brentford v Tottenham

Sat 22 Aug, 17:30 · EPL
Brentford
👥 The Crowd 7 fans 4-4-2
1 Kelleher
33 Kayode
22 Collins
20 ? Ajer
3 ? Henry
7 ? Schade
24 Damsgaard
6 ? Yarmolyuk
8 ? Jensen
9 Thiago
11 Ouattara
90%+ locked strong split

The Oracle and the crowd agree on 9 of 11. The Oracle backs Lewis-Potter and Janelt; the crowd wants Henry and Yarmolyuk.

Tottenham
👥 The Crowd 46 fans 4-2-3-1
31 Kinský
23 Porro
6 Hecke
37 Ven
9 ? Richarlison
16 Tonali
18 ? Fernandes
11 ? Tel
10 ? Maddison
20 ? Kudus
19 ? Solanke
90%+ locked strong split

The Oracle and the crowd agree on 4 of 11.

The data: Favours Tottenham at 50%. Brentford are without Fredrick.

Brentford: Out: Fredrick (knee injury), Berg (injury)

Tottenham: Out: Simons (knee injury), Odobert (knee injury) · Doubtful: Kudus (muscle injury), Kulusevski (knee injury), Solanke (ankle injury)

Man City v Bournemouth

Sun 23 Aug, 14:00 · EPL
Manchester City
👥 The Crowd 86 fans 4-2-3-1
1 Donnarumma
45 ? Khusanov
3 Dias
6 Guéhi
24 ? Gvardiol
5 ? Anderson
33 ? O'Reilly
42 Semenyo
10 ? Cherki
47 ? Foden
9 Haaland
90%+ locked strong split

The Oracle and the crowd agree on 8 of 11.

Bournemouth
👥 The Crowd 7 fans 4-4-2
1 Petrović
16 Tavernier
5 ? Hill
18 ? Diakité
3 Truffert
15 ? Smith
8 Scott
12 ? Adams
37 ? Rayan
9 ? Evanilson
20 ? Rodríguez
90%+ locked strong split

The Oracle and the crowd agree on 9 of 11. The Oracle backs Tóth and Brooks; the crowd wants Scott and Rodríguez.

The data: Favours Man City at 50%. Man City are without Doku.

Man City: Out: Doku (calf injury), McAidoo (injury), Sávio (illness) · Doubtful: Nunes (injury)

Bournemouth: Out: Araujo (thigh injury), Christie (red card), Kroupi (foot injury), Adli (injury), Milosavljević (injury) · Doubtful: Adams (injury), Brooks (injury)

Brighton v Aston Villa

Sun 23 Aug, 14:00 · EPL
Brighton
👥 The Crowd 11 fans 4-4-2
1 Verbruggen
27 Wieffer
Vušković
5 ? Struijk
24 Kadıoğlu
25 Gómez
26 ? Ayari
30 ? Groß
13 ? Hinshelwood
10 ? Rutter
29 ? Cuyper
90%+ locked strong split

The Oracle and the crowd agree on 9 of 11. The Oracle backs Boscagli and Igor; the crowd wants Vušković and Struijk.

Aston Villa
👥 The Crowd 12 fans 4-2-3-1
23 Martínez
2 Cash
4 Konsa
14 Torres
22 ? Maatsen
7 McGinn
8 ? Kamara
10 Buendía
49 Garnacho
6 ? Barkley
11 Watkins
90%+ locked strong split

The Oracle and the crowd agree on 6 of 11.

The data: Favours Aston Villa at 50%. Brighton are without Minteh.

Brighton: Out: Minteh (injury) · Doubtful: Baleba (ankle injury), Tzimas (knee injury), Mitoma (hamstring injury)

Aston Villa: Out: Gomes (calf injury), Madjo (injury), Onana (knee injury) · Doubtful: Bailey (muscle injury), Manzambi (knee injury), Martínez (finger injury), Abraham (injury), Garnacho (concussion)

Newcastle v Liverpool

Sun 23 Aug, 16:30 · EPL
Newcastle
👥 The Crowd 25 fans 4-2-3-1
21 ? Horníček
4 ? Botman
12 Thiaw
33 ? Burn
3 Hall
67 ? Miley
14 ? Steur
19 Elanga
11 ? Barnes
17 ? Touré
10 ? Osula
90%+ locked strong split

The Oracle and the crowd agree on 6 of 11.

Liverpool
👥 The Crowd 66 fans 4-4-2
1 Becker
30 ? Frimpong
4 Dijk
97 ? Jacquet
6 Kerkez
10 ? Allister
38 Gravenberch
8 Szoboszlai
7 Wirtz
9 Isak
18 ? Gakpo
90%+ locked strong split

The Oracle and the crowd agree on 7 of 11.

The data: Favours Liverpool at 50%. Newcastle are without Joelinton.

Newcastle: Out: Joelinton (injury) · Doubtful: Livramento (hamstring injury), Burn (injury), Miley (injury)

Liverpool: Out: Gomez (injury), Bradley (knee injury), Ekitike (achilles tendon injury), Mabaya (achilles tendon injury) · Doubtful: Jones (hip injury), Leoni (knee injury)

Fulham v Chelsea

Mon 24 Aug, 20:00 · EPL
Fulham
👥 The Crowd 9 fans 4-2-3-1
1 Leno
21 ? Castagne
3 Bassey
4 ? Cuenca
33 Robinson
16 Berge
17 Iwobi
14 Bobb
11 ? Kevin
24 ? King
7 ? García
90%+ locked strong split

The Oracle and the crowd agree on 8 of 11.

Chelsea
👥 The Crowd 59 fans 4-2-3-1
1 Sánchez
24 ? James
6 Colwill
5 ? Lacroix
21 ? Hato
25 Caicedo
8 Fernández
10 Palmer
17 ? Rogers
2 ? Palestra
20 Pedro
90%+ locked strong split

The Oracle and the crowd agree on 8 of 11.

The data: Leans Chelsea at 45%, far from settled. Fulham are without Andersen.

Fulham: Out: Andersen (red card), Cairney (knee injury)

Chelsea: Out: Fofana (red card), Henderson (wrist injury)