The 32nd edition of the Premier League kicks off on Friday night as Championship winners Burnley lock horns with defending champions of the league Manchester City. The clash will see former Cityzens captain Vincent Kompany who now manages Burnley meet his former coach Pep Guardiola.
Other exciting fixtures are set to follow on Saturday and Sunday with various clubs bringing in new players to make them more competitive compared to last season.
Aside from the new players, four teams will begin the season with new managers as well. We take a look at the teams who will begin their campaign with new faces in their dugouts.
Bournemouth – Andoni Iraola
Iraola joined Bournemouth on a two-year deal following his contract expiration with Spanish outfit Rayo Vallecano.
He replaced Gary O’Neil who got dismissed just after seven months of being a substantive coach for the Cherries.
Iraola brings to the Premier League experience as a former player and a coach. He served as captain during his 15 years at Athletic Bilbao, guiding the team to notable triumphs like Copa del Rey and Europa League finals as well as Champions League qualifiers. As a manager, the 40-year-old have already exceeded expectation managing Mirandes to a surprising Copa del Rey semi-final appearance and AEK Larnaca to a rare Europa League group-stage position.
Mirandes went from being a relegation threat to mid-table. He led Rayo Vallecano to promotion through play-offs and a strong La Liga status, even fighting for European qualification, despite difficulties and subpar facilities. Throughout his career, Iraola has demonstrated a skill for inspiring achievement.
Chelsea – Mauricio Pochettino
Pochettino has become Chelsea’s fourth coach in a year after Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter, and Frank Lampard who served as an interim boss.
Having finished 12th on the league log last season, Chelsea are aiming to bounce back in the new season and the Argentinean is expected to lead the daunting mission.
Following his stint with Tottenham Hotspurs in the past, Chelsea are aiming to ride on his experience to solve crucial problems. He led Spurs to the UEFA Champions League final in 2018/19 and lost to Liverpool.
He recently coached Paris Saint Germain where he won the French Ligue 1 and Coupe de France.
However, he already has some problems to deal with at Chelsea including how to manage the absence of summer signing Christopher Nkuku who is expected to be on the sidelines in about four months due to injury.
Tottenham – Ange Postecoglou
The former Celtic boss replaces Ryan Mason who took over from Cristian Stellini until last June.
Postecoglou will become the first Australian to manage a club in the Premier League and is expected to transfer the winning mentality from Celtic to Tottenham Hotspurs.
The 52-year-old in his two years with Celtic won back-to-back league titles in the Scottish Premier League and is set to make a mark in the Premier League.
Postecoglou will however have to plan without the club’s greatest player Harry Kane who is on his way out to join Bayern Munich.
Wolves – Gary O’Neil
Gary O’Neil replaced Julen Lopetegui, who left Molineux just a few days before the beginning of the season.
O’Neil joins after parting ways with Bournemouth in June. He maintained the Cherries’ Premier League status by accumulating 39 points and placing 15th. Despite his success, Andoni Iraola, the former manager of Rayo Vallecano, was hired to lead Bournemouth instead of him.
The Wolves administration believe O’Neil could accomplish a comparable task with less money and provide the team with much-needed morale support.
