Man City get a head-start to their title defence

LONDON : The start of a new Premier League season is always a time of hope and dreams, even if defending champions Manchester City will probably be three points clear before their main rivals have kicked a ball this weekend.

Pep Guardiola's treble-winning side travel to promoted Burnley, with former City captain Vincent Kompany now in charge at Turf Moor, on Friday night as they start the chase of a fourth title in a row and sixth in seven years.

Arsenal, runners-up last year after leading for much of the campaign, host Nottingham Forest in Saturday's lunchtime kickoff while fourth-placed Newcastle United are at home to Aston Villa in the evening.

Liverpool, fifth last season, are at Chelsea on Sunday while Manchester United, third at the final whistle last May, must wait until Monday for their opening game at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Manchester City lost the Community Shield on penalties to Arsenal at Wembley last weekend, hardly a bad omen given that they also lost the previous two and still ended the season as winners.

For Arsenal, however, it was an important statement.

"It's a marker to know we can go and beat Manchester City in a big game when it matters," said goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale. "I'm not sure what it'll be like this season. But that mental block is gone."

City still start as clear favourites and when they played Burnley in an FA Cup quarter-final at the Etihad last March they ran out 6-0 winners with goal machine Erling Haaland scoring a hat-trick.

There will be plenty of interest elsewhere in the performance of big-money signings and what kind of results new managers bring.

Mikel Arteta's Arsenal splashed around 100 million pounds on signing England midfielder Declan Rice from West Ham, as well as 65