A Premier League season quite unlike any other gets under way on Friday when Crystal Palace and Arsenal contest the first match at Selhurst Park.
For the first time, the Premier League will take an extended break at the end of the year during the Qatar World Cup, and how clubs handle that six-week gap in the season could prove crucial to achieving their objectives.
Champions Manchester City and runners-up Liverpool are once again expected to set the pace at the top of the table, while the race for the top four looks poised to be more fiercely contested than ever.
Meanwhile, at the other end of the standings, the three promoted clubs - Fulham, Bournemouth, and Nottingham Forest - will be aiming to avoid an immediate drop back into the Championship.