Photo: Donny van de Beek is set to make his Manchester United debut against Crystal Palace today.
Week two of the new English Premier League season will see the return of the two Manchester clubs who both sat out match day one after extended runs in European competitions.
The Manchester United and Manchester City games originally scheduled for match day one were postponed so Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Pep Guardiola will grace the sidelines for the first time on match day two.
United will be the first Manchester club on show on Saturday in what could be a tricky tie against Crystal Palace at Old Trafford. Palace managed a 2-1 win when the two teams met at the same venue last season, with former United player Wilfried Zaha, grabbing a 90th minute winner to stun the Old Trafford faithful.
But Solkjaer’s team were the best in the premiership after the restart last season and beat Palace 2-0 at Selhurst Park. They should start as favourites in their first home fixture of the new season.
Bruno Fernandes was named Player of the Season at Manchester United after his arrival at the club in the January window helped lift the Red Devils from sixth to third as they guaranteed themselves Champions League football after missing out last season.
Fernandes presence has been a big boost to the club and a lot will be expected of him in his first full season.
Donny van de Beek is the only big signing made so far in the transfer window by Solskjaer and he is set to make his debut against Palace.
The rest of the United squad will be looking to kick on from where they left off at the end of the premier league season which ended in July.
Zaha grabbed the winner for Palace in their 1-0 win over Southampton last weekend, although they must thank their goalkeeper Vicente Guaita who had an outstanding game between the sticks. His performance ensured that they walked away with all three points at Selhurst Park.
Roy Hodgson will be hoping his team will show the same type of endeavour this weekend against a team that is likely to test them a little bit more than they were tested on the opening day of the season.
Guaita may expect another busy day on Saturday against the likes of Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and Mason Greenwood.
On Monday, Man City will travel to Molineux to play against a very confident Wolves team that did the double over them last season.
Wolves began the season with a comfortable 2-0 win away at Bramall Lane over Sheffield United and having finished in the top ten last season, will be looking to do even better this term, with an obvious eye on a Champions League spot.
Manager Nuno Espirito Santo has just signed a new contract at the club and the focus will now be on ensuring that his players deliver on the pitch, even better than they did last term.
There may be challenges for Santo right away however, as Liverpool are said to be in for a number of their top players with a deal said to be already done for striker Diogo Jota.
The champions are not likely to stop there as Wolves leading scorer from last season, Raul Jimenez, is also said to be on their radar. Whether or not Jimenez will be available to play against Man City is left to be seen.
Guardiola has his own challenges as the club’s all-time leading scorer, Sergio Aguero, remains a long-term injury concern. The striker injured his knee against Burnley in the 22nd of June and has not kicked a ball in anger since.
Brazilian Gabriel Jesus has deputized since the Argentine got injured and he is likely to continue in the strikers’ role on Monday. For City, a lot will depend on the performance of the Premier League’s Player of the Season, Kevin De Bruyne if they are to get an away win to begin their season.
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