The Premier League kicks off this weekend, with Manchester City looking to maintain their dominance in English football and Ipswich returning to the top flight. The season begins with Manchester United facing Fulham on Friday at 20:00 BST, and matches will occur over the next four days.
Ipswich will host Liverpool on Saturday, while Manchester City will visit Chelsea on Sunday in what promises to be the most exciting fixtures of the opening weekend. Arsenal aims to finally overtake Manchester City for the title, and Manchester United seeks to recover from their worst season since 1990.
There will be several changes this season, including updates to handball rules, VAR, and injury time. The VAR system will now require a clearer error from the on-pitch official to intervene, reducing stoppages for marginal decisions. Refereeing chief Howard Webb emphasizes a less forensic approach to analysis.
The Premier League Match Centre on X will offer “near-live” explanations of VAR decisions, with more replays and clearer explanations on stadium screens. Stoppage time will decrease significantly due to a change in how goal celebrations are timed—only time exceeding 30 seconds will be added.
Attacking players obstructing opponents at set-pieces will face stricter penalties, and handball laws will be slightly relaxed, focusing on the arm’s position relative to body movement. Non-deliberate handballs leading to penalties will no longer automatically result in a booking. Penalty balls must be placed on or over the center of the spot, and encroachment will only be penalized if it impacts the play.
Ball boys and girls will now hand the ball directly to goalkeepers for restarts, though the multiball system will still be used for outfield players. Additionally, five substitutes can warm up simultaneously on the touchline, up from three. The new Nike Flight ball, featuring Aerowsculpt technology, promises improved flight accuracy.
A quarter of the Premier League managers will be making their top-flight debut this weekend, including Arne Slot at Liverpool, Enzo Maresca at Chelsea, Russell Martin at Southampton, Kieran McKenna at Ipswich, and Fabian Hurzeler at Brighton.
Manchester United has signed Leny Yoro, Joshua Zirkzee, and Bayern Munich defenders Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui, while Manchester City acquired Brazilian winger Savinho. Arsenal has added Bologna defender Riccardo Calafiori. Brighton signed Yankuba Minteh, Mats Wieffer, and Brajan Gruda. Chelsea brought in Marc Guiu, Filip Jorgensen, and teenage midfielder Archie Gray. West Ham added Niclas Fullkrug and Luis Guilherme.