Arsenal and Leicester get the 2017-18 Premier League under way when they face off at the Emirates Stadium on Friday, August 11.
The Gunners come into the new season with a point to prove, having finished fifth last term, and they have already laid down a marker by beating Chelsea in the Community Shield.
Leicester also suffered a disappointing campaign last year as they were easily dethroned as champions, but Craig Shakespeare managed to halt their downward slide.
Expectations at both clubs vary, but there is similar pressure on both managers to deliver much better results this season.
| Game | Arsenal vs Leicester City |
| Date | Friday August 11 |
| Time | 19:45 (BST) / 14:45 (ET) |
TV CHANNEL & LIVE STREAM
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In the UK, the opening Premier League game will be available to watch live on television on Sky Sports Premier League, as well as being available to stream online using Sky Go.
| UK TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| Sky Sports Premier League | Sky Go |
In the US, the game between Arsenal and Leicester will be broadcast live on NBCSN and viewers also have the option to stream live online using the NBC Sports app.
| US TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| NBCSN | NBC Sports app |
SQUADS & TEAM NEWS
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Arsene Wenger has confirmed that Alexis Sanchez will play no part in Arsenal's opening Premier League game after the Chilean suffered an abdominal strain in training.
There were concerns over the fitness of Mesut Ozil and Aaron Ramsey, but both players have been cleared to play, while Per Mertesacker is a doubt, having been forced off in last Sunday's Community Shield clash against Chelsea.
Laurent Koscielny is suspended, but Shkodran Mustafi could be in line to feature if Wenger deems the Germany international ready.
Potential Arsenal XI: Cech; Holding, Mertesacker/Mustafi, Monreal; Bellerin, Ozil, Xhaka, Kolasinac; Walcott, Lacazette, Iwobi
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Robert Huth will not feature against Arsenal as he continues to recover from an ankle injury, while Danny Drinkwater is considered a doubt due to a thigh injury he is carrying, but Islam Slimani should be available after suffering a nasty gash on his leg during pre-season.
New signing from Manchester City Kelechi Iheanacho featured for the last 20 minutes in the pre-season friendly win over Borussia Monchengladbach last Sunday and should be available to partner Jamie Vardy in attack.
Potential Leicester XI: Schmeichel; Simpson, Morgan, Maguire, Fuchs; Albrighton, James, Ndidi, Gray; Vardy, Iheanacho.
BETTING
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Arsenal are 8/15 favourites to win, according to dabblebet, with Leicester considered a 11/2 bet to beat the Gunners in their own backyard. A draw between the teams is available at 10/3.
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Alexandre Lacazette is the favourite to open the scoring at 3/1, while new Foxes striker Kelechi Iheanacho is priced at 8/1.
MATCH PREVIEW
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Missing out on the Champions League was a major embarrassment for Arsenal, but the top brass at the club opted to keep faith in Arsene Wenger by giving him a new two-year at the end of last season, meaning that he has been handed a shot at redemption.
The long-serving manager's brief this year will obviously involve ensuring an immediate return to Europe's premier club competition, but the Frenchman will be eager to silence his doubters by rebounding with a vengeance and that means the Premier League title will be high on his agenda. With a trophy already secured in the form of the Community Shield after beating Chelsea, Arsenal will attempt to carry their form into the 2017-18 league campaign and they will fancy their chances against Leicester at home.
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While the uncertainty over Sanchez's future at the club rumbles on, new signings Alexandre Lacazette and Sead Kolasinac have shown early signs that they are exactly what the Gunners were missing last season. Logic suggests that the duo will only improve as they become more familiar with their new team-mates and, while they have got plenty of friendly games under their belts, it will be intriguing to see how they fare when there are points at stake.
Leicester are not quite the shocking force that swept to Premier League glory in 2015-16, but the Foxes appear to have recovered from the downturn that characterised last season and will be a difficult opponent for Arsenal. Having been convincingly dethroned, Shakespeare's side are now free to play without that degree of extra pressure that comes with being defending champions, but they will have to be firing on all cylinders if they are to spring an upset when they meet the Gunners on Friday.
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