Goal projections for GW1 of the 2017/18 EPL season are put under the microscope

The summer has flown by and the start of the 2017/18 English Premier League season is almost upon us.

Season-long fantasy football managers will be busy compiling their squads, while Gameweek 1 slates are also available with many of the operators that focus exclusively on daily fantasy football. Therefore, we have run the latest Premier League betting odds through the computer to see what the Old Enemy are making of the opening set of fixtures, in terms of expected goals and the chances of a home victory in each match.

Arsenal get the new season under way when they entertain dethroned champions’ Leicester City at the Emirates and it will be fascinating to see whether Alexis Sánchez, the 2016/17 Fantasy Player of the Season, is still at the club or not.

Fantasy managers will be keen to get a first look at some of the big summer moves as well, so the performances of the likes of Romelu Lukaka, Alexandre Lacazette, Álvaro Morata and Mohammed Salah are sure to come in for plenty of scrutiny.

However, it’s at the other end of the table where fantasy contests can be won and lost so don’t neglect the value of those precious clean sheets.

Champions’ Chelsea look to have a great chance of securing their first win of the season against a Burnley side that did not travel well in 2016/17, while no side secured more shutouts than Manchester United in the last campaign.

However, former United favourite Javier Hernández might have something to say about that if he lines up for the Hammers at Old Trafford, having now completed the switch to the London Stadium!

The bookmakers seem to be predicting a low scoring affair at the Hawthorns so that could be a game to keep an eye on.

Only 4 teams conceded more goals than Bournemouth last season, including 2 of those that were relegated and this is highlighted by their WhoScored team characteristics data.

The summer acquisitions of Nathan Aké and Asmir Begovic from Chelsea would suggest that manager Eddie Howe is keen to address those shortcomings, so it will be fascinating to see how the Cherries fare against an Albion side that scored 20 of its 43 Premier League goals from set pieces last time around.

The big Kick-Off is almost upon us – will you be focusing on defence or the big-hitters in GW1?