Premier League Opening Fixtures: H2H and Trends for Premier League Fixtures This Week

Manchester United get the Premier League season underway vs Fulham tonight. Photo by: GRANT HALVERSON / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP

If you are interested in placing some bets on the Premier League opening fixtures, it might be helpful to know about any trends for certain teams from their first game of the season in years gone by, and how they perform against who they are playing on the first week of the new campaign.

OddsPortal has got you covered with insights into all of the best Premier League fixtures this week, including the history of H2H results between the two teams, and much more.

Not only that, but thanks to the betting signup offers available with OddsPortal, you can also earn yourself some free bets to use on the Premier League opening fixtures, provided you are a new player.

All you need to do is click on any of the links for the online bookmakers suggested and their offers on this page, sign up and meet the qualifying bet to earn yourself some free bets for the Premier League fixtures this week.

Without further ado, let’s check out some trends heading into the best matches in the Premier League this weekend, starting with tonight’s game at Old Trafford.

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Manchester United vs Fulham

In 34 Premier League encounters, the H2H results between Manchester United and Fulham are pretty one sided. The Red Devils have beaten Fulham in 24 out of 34 of their Premier League meetings, with six being draws, and four being Fulham wins.

But, don’t be fooled by the fact that Manchester United have had it all their own way recently, with Fulham having won at Old Trafford in their most recent meeting in February.

In addition to that, it’s been a solitary goal that has decided the two teams in United’s last three Premier League victories against the West London side, with two of those winners coming in stoppage time.

Fulham can also take inspiration from the fact that United have not been convincing at all at home in the last few years, losing to both Brighton and Crystal Palace at home in their opening Premier League fixture, as well as scraping past Wolves in a dismal performance last season.

But Fulham’s record isn’t particularly positive either, winning only 1/3 of their Premier League opening fixtures in history.

Only two meetings in the last 10 in the Premier League between the two haven’t been both teams to score, with 8/10 also being over 2.5 goals, leading us into our prediction for the opening game of the 2024/25 Premier League season.

Prediction: BTTS and Over 2.5 Goals (5/6 with bet365)

Ipswich Town vs Liverpool

Ipswich Town return to the Premier League for the first time since they were relegated in 2002, and there are fewer tougher tests to start your Premier League campaign than against Liverpool.

This is not only due to them being such a formidable team in recent times, but also because they are so hard to beat on the opening weekend in the Premier League.

Liverpool, in 30 opening day fixtures, have lost just four times and won 18, signalling just how impressive they are and why they are strong favourites to beat the Premier League newcomers at Portman Road.

Ipswich have only ever won once on the Premier League opening day when they beat Oldham 3-0, who were relegated with them that season in 1993/94.

Expect Ipswich to put up a fight against the Reds in their opening game back in the Premier League, but Liverpool will surely be too strong for the Tractor Boys.

Predictions: Liverpool to Win and Both Teams to Score (6/4 with Coral & Ladbrokes)

Aston Villa vs West Ham

Aston Villa will be looking to kick on from their fourth place finish last year and prove it wasn’t a fluke that they made it into the Champions League, though they will have to deal with the loss of Douglas Luiz in midfield.

Meanwhile, West Ham seem to have recruited strongly in the summer transfer window and will have a new manager on the touchline in Julen Lopetegui, with many believing this being a recipe for them replicating the success of Villa and Newcastle in the last couple of seasons.

Villa may have run out 4-1 winners at Villa Park last season and escaped with a late equaliser at the London Stadium, but overall in the H2H meetings in the Premier League it is West Ham who have had the most success.

That defeat last season was their first to Villa since 2015, winning six of the 10 meetings in that time.

This is a fixture that frequently involves goals, with both teams scoring in 8 of their last H2Hs, while Villa’s style certainly encourages goals with their high line, something West Ham will look to take advantage of with the likes of Mohammed Kudus and Jarrod Bowen.

Predictions: Over 3.5 Goals (27/20 with BetMGM, BetUK & Unibet)

Chelsea vs Manchester City

The standout game of the weekend is most definitely Chelsea vs Manchester City, and the home side has a job on their hands to stop the Premier League champions with Kevin De Bruyne, Erling Haaland and the whole squad raring to go as they try to get off to a fast start.

And it’s something they’re typically able to do, with Guardiola winning all but one of his opening day fixtures as Man City boss, losing only to Tottenham in 2021 in a fixture where history has seemingly prevailed consistently.

Chelsea most certainly aren’t bad on the opening day either though, and actually boast 19 wins out of 30 games in Premier League opening fixtures!

Moreover, they will take positives from two excellent performances last season when they held Manchester City to a draw home and away, something not many teams can say they have done when Guardiola was on the touchline.

However, looking at the two teams it is hard to imagine any other result than City leaving Stamford Bridge with all three points in Enzo Maresca’s first match as Chelsea manager.

Predictions: Chelsea 1-2 Manchester City (7/1 with Betfred)

Leicester City vs Tottenham

To round off the Premier League opening fixtures this weekend is another team recently promoted playing at home, with Leicester City taking on Tottenham at the King Power.

There have been some enthralling meetings between the two teams in their most recent meetings, with an average of 5.6 goals per game across the last five H2H matches.

With Ange Postecoglu as Tottenham manager, I doubt that trend will end in this match either thanks to the high line of his team and the countless chances they create and shots they have in each game.

If we are focusing on who has notoriously come out on top, it’s Tottenham that have won six and lost only two of the last eight matchup. With Leicester being favourites in the relegation odds for this season and Tottenham only strengthening their side, only one outcome looks likely.

Predictions: Tottenham to Win & Over 4.5 Goals (4/1 with bet365)