The inaugural staging of the First Half Only 45 Schoolboy football Extravaganza, is expected to ignite the Montego Bay Sports Complex in Catherine Hall on Saturday, as six Manning and daCosta Cup schools will vie for cash prize and a title to boost their confidence ahead of the upcoming ISSA schoolboy football season.

This groundbreaking tournament, set to take place under the patronage of Mayor of Montego Bay, Richard Vernon, promises an exhilarating day of competition and community spirit, beginning with an exciting “kickoff” ceremony led by the Mayor.

The evening's highlight features electrifying matches between St. Catherine High, Rusea's High, William Knibb High, Cornwall College, Manchester High, and Irwin High Schools. Each team is prepared to showcase their best in this specially curated tournament, with the winning school set to pocket a grand prize of JMD$500,000.

Dr. Dean Weatherly, Head coach of Irwin High School, welcomed the initiative, which aims to revitalize interest in schoolboy football across Jamaica, broaden its fan base, and attract investment from football governing bodies and corporate entities into grassroots football development.

“The 45 Minutes tournament is a great concept and is one where we can see the other talents that exist in Western Jamaica as well as to see where we are in our training sessions. As far as the tournament goes, it is one that people need to come out and watch as they’ll be seeing some great young minds at work and talent on the field,” Weatherly declared.

St. Catherine High’s Anthony Patrick echoed similar sentiments.

“It's a welcomed opportunity, one we are looking forward to, and one that will benefit our players immensely, especially the youngsters we want to showcase this schoolboy season, ones who will be graduating this year. The 45-minute format is crucial—winning in the first half is always crucial so this concept encourages a different type of sportsmanship, we'll be putting our best foot forward to make an impact and allow the young talent to shine,” Patrick shared.

For Mayor of Montego Bay, Richard Vernon, the sport presents limitless opportunities for community and individual development in Jamaica, particularly in the Western part of the island.

“The sport has experienced a significant decline in Western Jamaica in recent years, evidenced by the success of teams at the national and schoolboy levels. Therefore, all support is needed to revitalize the discipline and provide an outlet for youngsters to be meaningfully engaged,” the Mayor said.

“It also provides unique advantages for sports tourism in western Jamaica, with Montego Bay being among the top destinations globally. As such, I'm vested to reimagine and rebuild Western football by playing a key role,” he added.

Meanwhile, Erin Mitchell of sponsors Wisynco, pointed out that lending support to the initiative was a no-brainer.

“Schoolboy Football is a crucial pillar for many of our brands, and we are proud to support this initiative in the west, reinforcing our commitment to schoolboy football in Jamaica,” Mitchell noted.

Pre-sold tickets are $1,000 and $2,500 for Bleachers and Grandstand, while tickets at the gate, are $1,500 and $3,000. Pre-sold tickets are available at Western Sports,

Julen Lopetegui insisted that he will not "put limits on our dreams" ahead of West Ham's opening game of the Premier League season against Aston Villa. 

Lopetegui, who is taking charge of his second team in England's top flight, has overseen several new arrivals at the London Stadium in the past few weeks. 

Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Crysencio Summerville and Niclas Fullkrug have all put pen to paper on deals with the Hammers, but the Spaniard knows that it will take more than just new faces to achieve their end goal. 

"I don't put limits on our dreams. The only way you can achieve dreams is by working," Lopetegui said. 

"We can talk about ambitions, but the most important thing is to work hard every day, especially on the bad days.

"We need to work with good energy and progress step by step."

Meanwhile, Aston Villa are gearing up for the new season along with their first Champions League campaign since 1983 following a fourth-placed finish last season.

They have also made additions, with Unai Emery welcoming eight new arrivals to bolster their squad after seeing injuries threaten to derail their campaign last year. 

However, manager Unai Emery insisted that the Premier League remained a priority, calling for consistency as they aim to navigate a hectic fixture schedule. 

"The first objective is 38 Premier League matches. Then, to play in the Champions League is really the way we want to be competitive," Emery said.

"To win a title through the Champions League, we could, but it would be very difficult.

"We’re not refusing this option, but we have to be competitive and consistent in the Premier League."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

West Ham – Crysencio Summerville

Last season's Championship Player of the Year, Summerville, will be hoping to hit the ground running in what will be his third crack at the Premier League. 

The Dutchman was involved in 28 goals last season for Leeds (19 goals and nine assists excluding the play-offs), with only Southampton’s Adam Armstrong (34) and Blackburn’s Sammie Szmodics (31) involved in more.

Aston Villa – Ollie Watkins

Off the back of his most prolific scoring season with Villa and a semi-final strike for England at Euro 2024, Ollie Watkins has been tipped to challenge for the Golden Boot this time around. 

Watkins joined the Villans from Brentford, but has enjoyed a return to the capital since, scoring more times (13) in games played in London than any other Villa player. 

He has 59 overall in the Premier League, behind only Gabriel Abgonlahor (74) and Dwight Yorke (60) for the West Midlands club. 

MATCH PREDICTION: WEST HAM WIN

West Ham just edge Opta's data-led simulations, handed a win percentage of 41.1% compared to Villa's 32.2%, with a draw given a 26.7% chance of happening. 

But both sides have struggled on the opening day in recent years. The Hammers have lost on five of the six occasions they’ve begun a Premier League campaign against a side who finished in the previous season’s top four. 

They have also won their opening Premier League match in just one of the last eight seasons (D1 L6), beating Newcastle 4-2 in 2021-22. Indeed, the Hammers have lost their opening game in the Premier League more often than any other side (15).

But they have fared better against Saturday's opponents in the head-to-head record. The Hammers have lost just one of their last 12 Premier League games against Aston Villa (W6 D5), which came in a 4-1 loss at Villa Park last season.

Aston Villa have lost their opening Premier League match in each of the last three seasons, conceding 10 goals in those games. They also lost the last time they faced West Ham in their first game, falling to a 1-0 defeat at Upton Park in 2012-13.

Emery's side failed to win any of their last four Premier League games in 2023-24 (D2 L2), their longest run without a win under the Spaniard. The 52-year-old last had a longer run without a league win between May and September 2021 with Villarreal (D4 L1).

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

West Ham – 41.1%

Draw – 26.7%

Aston Villa – 32.2%

Waterhouse Football Club is pleased to announce the transfer of Revaldo Mitchell to Macedonian club FK Rabotnicki AD - Skopje for an undisclosed fee.

Revaldo Mitchell, a talented midfielder known for his exceptional skills and dedication on the field, has been a pivotal player for Waterhouse FC. Since joining the club, Mitchell has demonstrated remarkable growth and has been instrumental in our recent successes.

Waterhouse FC President, Donovan White, expressed his gratitude towards Mitchell for his contributions to the team. "Revaldo has been an outstanding player for Waterhouse FC, and while we are sad to see him go, we are also incredibly proud of his achievements and excited for his future. This transfer is a testament to his hard work and dedication."

Revaldo Mitchell shared his excitement about the move, stating, "I am grateful for my time at Waterhouse FC and the support I have received from the fans, teammates, and coaching staff. I am looking forward to this new chapter with FK Rabotnicki AD - Skopje and am eager to contribute to my new team."

This transfer marks a significant milestone for Waterhouse FC, highlighting the club's commitment to developing talent and providing opportunities for players to progress in their careers. We are confident that Revaldo will continue to excel and make a significant impact in Macedonia.

We wish Revaldo Mitchell all the best in his future endeavours and thank him for his invaluable contributions to Waterhouse FC.

Kalvin Phillips has completed a season-long loan move to Ipswich from Manchester City, the Tractor Boys confirmed on Friday.

Phillips, who spent the second half of the 2023-24 campaign on loan with West Ham, could be available for the visit of Liverpool in their opening game of the season. 

The 28-year-old has struggled to regain the form shown at Leeds prior to his £42m move to City in 2022, making just 30 appearances for Pep Guardiola's side. 

His move to the Hammers aimed to put him in contention for England's Euro 2024 squad, but that failed to transpire as he endured a difficult spell at the London Stadium.

Phillips started three times for West Ham, losing possession 49 times in his 10 league games, including on his debut, which resulted in Dominic Solanke netting for Bournemouth. 

But the midfielder is relishing the opportunity of playing regular minutes in the Premier League, telling Ipswich's club website: “This is a day I’ve been waiting a number of weeks for now and I’m very happy to be here. 

“I’ve had some great conversations with players I know here and also with the manager, who I have heard a lot about, and I’m excited to be here and be part of his team. 

“I want to play as many games as possible, enjoy playing football again and help the team win as many games as possible in the Premier League.”  

Guardiola had earlier confirmed that it was the midfielder's decision to go on loan to the Tractor Boys, insisting the door is still open for a return to the City starting line-up. 

"Kalvin has gone to Ipswich. I think it's already done, you never know until it's happened. He decided to go there," Guardiola said in his pre-match press conference.

"You have to have minutes and recover. Play, play, play. Maybe there is a chance to come back here in the future."

Manchester City forward Oscar Bobb will be sidelined for "three or four months" after fracturing a bone in his leg, Pep Guardiola has confirmed. 

It was reported on Wednesday that Bobb had suffered a leg injury in training and would undergo medical tests to discover the full extent of the problem.

He started all five of City's pre-season friendlies as well as their Community Shield victory over Manchester United, and was expected to keep his place for Sunday's Premier League opener at Chelsea.

However, Guardiola confirmed during Friday's pre-match press conference that the Norwegian will miss the first few months of the season, with City hopeful he will return before the turn of the year.

"It was in the training session. Unfortunately, he had a big impact and got injured. He is having surgery this afternoon," Guardiola said.

"Hopefully, it will go well and he will be back in three or four months. 

"We are so sad for him, not because of his incredible pre-season, that doesn't matter, but because we are any time there is a long injury. We are looking forward to seeing him again soon."

Bobb made 26 appearances for City totalling 819 minutes in all competitions last season, with seven of those being starts.

He scored two goals and added one assist, netting a memorable stoppage-time winner in a thrilling 3-2 Premier League win at Newcastle United in January. 

After City sold Julian Alvarez to Atletico Madrid for a club-record €95million (£81.5m) earlier this week, Guardiola was asked whether Bobb's injury left them short and needing to dip into the transfer market.

"Maybe or maybe not, we will see. I'm really pleased with the squad I have, we will see," he said. 

"I'm set. We will see what happens in the market. We can continue to January in that way or maybe we will add some players."

Ipswich have confirmed the arrival of last year's Championship top scorer Sammie Szmodics from Blackburn Rovers for a reported £10m fee. 

Szmodics, who scored 33 goals in 48 appearances in all competitions for Rovers last season, put pen to paper on a four-year deal with the Tractor Boys. 

The 28-year-old continued his scoring form into the 2024-25 campaign, netting three times in his first two games in the league and Carabao Cup. 

Last season, only Adam Armstrong (37) registered more goals and assists in the Championship than Szmodics (31), while he also created 49 chances, more than any of his Blackburn team-mates.

Szmodics struck 27 times in the league last year, outperforming his expected goals (xG) by 4.64 from his 145 shots across the 46-game campaign. 

His arrival further bolsters Kieran McKenna's front-line, which scored 92 goals last season, a total only bettered by Stockport County and Manchester City (both 96) in England’s top four tiers. 

Szmodics becomes the seventh signing for Ipswich after the arrivals of Omari Hutchinson, Jacob Greaves, Liam Delap, Arijanet Muric, Conor Townsend and Ben Johnson. 

“I am delighted to be here as an Ipswich Town player," Szmodics told Ipswich's club website. 

“There’s always been interest since I was a kid, but it just felt right this time with the challenge of the Premier League.

“After speaking to a couple of the lads, including Lewis Travis who was here last season, they just pushed me and said that I need to come and work under this manager, which is something I can’t wait to do. 

“It’s every boy’s dream to play in the Premier League and I’ve always said to my friends, family and agents that I’ll get to the top one day.  

“There’s nothing more I want than to score at Portman Road for Ipswich Town. I am over the moon to be here and looking forward to the season ahead.” 

Szmodics was registered in time to be available for their opening game of the Premier League season against Liverpool at Portman Road on Saturday. 

England interim head coach Lee Carsley has said he is looking to put "his own stamp" on the England squad as he prepares for his first game in charge. 

Carsley, who was previously the England's U21 manager, was confirmed as the Three Lion's interim boss for their upcoming UEFA Nations League fixtures. 

The 50-year-old replaced Gareth Southgate who stepped down from his position following England's 2-1 defeat to Spain in the final of Euro 2024. 

England face the Republic of Ireland on September 7 before returning to Wembley to take on Finland as they aim to make a winning started in Group 2.  

Speaking to the Football Association's in-house media channel, Carsley is relishing the opportunity of taking charge of the squad, but acknowledged the importance of finding a blend of competitiveness and balance. 

"It's a very prestigious job following Gareth and [assistant manager] Steve [Holland] and the great job that they have done," Carsley said. 

"First and foremost, it's getting the squad together and picking the right players while trying to get a balance between making sure it's fresh and competitive but understanding that there are games that we need to do well in and win, so that's what I'll be looking to do.

"It's important that we put our own stamp on the squad and make some adjustments, but also to realise that a lot of the players have done really well in the past and we have to acknowledge that."

Carsley has been within the England coaching set-up since 2020, first being appointed as head coach of England's U20 side in which he won one of his two matches. 

A year later, he replaced Aidy Boothroyd as the manager of the U21's and would go on to lift a major honour during his three years at the helm. 

Carsley helped his team win the European Under-21 Championship - their first title in the competition since 1984 - beating Spain 1-0 in Georgia. 

Cole Palmer scored the decisive goal that day, with Anthony Gordon also starting the game, both of whom were involved at Euro 2024. 

"I've got a relationship with those players and have known them quite a few years," Carsley said.

"There's players that I don't know as well, but I'm very much aware of them and I think we've got some outstanding players in the senior team.

"In the pathway, the level of players over the years has really improved and you can see that by the way we've done in major tournaments. The next step is winning, and that's got to be the objective."

Willian confirmed he has left Fulham following the expiry of his contract at Craven Cottage, the Brazilian announced in an Instagram post on Friday. 

Willian, who made 67 appearances across two years in all competitions for Fulham, scored five goals for Marco Silva's side last season. 

The Brazilian played 317 times for three different sides in the Premier League, first arriving in England after joining Chelsea from Anzhi Makhachkala in 2013. 

He spent a year with Arsenal before joining Corinthians, returning to London in 2022 with Fulham on an initial one-year contract, extending it by a further year last July.

"I would like to thank Fulham for a wonderful two years," Willian wrote. "It was special to return to the Premier League and be part of this historic club and the amazing fans. 

"I have had incredible moments and this club will always be in my heart.

"A very special thank you to our coach Marco Silva who showed me a lot of belief and gave me the confidence throughout the time we were together.

"I wish Fulham the best of luck in their upcoming challenges and hope I will get a chance to support the team live in the future."

Tottenham have completed the signing of winger Wilson Odobert from Burnley for an undisclosed fee, reportedly in the region of €37million (£31.5m).

Odobert joined Burnley from Troyes upon their promotion to the Premier League last year and was a bright spark in a disappointing campaign for the Clarets, who were relegated back to the Championship.

The France Under-21 international scored three goals in 29 Premier League appearances for Burnley, also contributing two assists.

Only Johann Gudmundsson (35) and Josh Brownhill (34) bettered his 31 chances created for Burnley in 2023-24, while he attempted (110) and completed (53) more dribbles than any of his team-mates.

Odobert also led all of his team-mates for shot-ending carries (20) and ranked joint-first for chances created following a carry, alongside Sander Berge (11).

Tottenham had been linked with several wingers ahead of the new season, including Pedro Neto, who left Wolves for Chelsea in a €60m (£51.4m) deal last week.

On Friday, Spurs announced Odobert as their fifth new signing ahead of Ange Postecoglou's second season at the helm, after Dominic Solanke, Archie Gray, Lucas Bergvall and Min-hyeok Yang.

The club confirmed Odobert has penned a five-year contract and will wear the number 28 shirt, with his debut potentially coming in their Premier League opener at Leicester City on Monday.

Odobert started Burnley's opening Championship fixture against Luton Town on Monday, scoring their second goal in a 4-1 victory. 

Arne Slot insists he is happy with his Liverpool squad ahead of their Premier League opener against Ipswich, despite missing out on midfielder Martin Zubimendi. 

Slot takes charge of his first competitive game for the Reds at Portman Road on Saturday, but is in charge of the only side yet to sign a player this transfer window.

Liverpool had shown their interest in Real Sociedad's Zubimendi following his performances for Spain at Euro 2024, appearing poised to trigger his £51m release clause. 

However, he rejected the move to Anfield, preferring to remain with La Real for the upcoming season after his impressive showings for club and country last year.

Zubimendi completed 1318 successful passes in La Liga last season, a total only bettered by Igor Zubeldia (1475) and Robin Le Normand (1562) in the Sociedad squad.

When compared to Liverpool's current midfield options, only Alexis Mac Allister (1692) completed more than the Spaniard last campaign. 

And despite the lack of transfer activity on Merseyside, Slot remained confident that the squad assembled under Jurgen Klopp's tenure will deliver.

"I've said many times already that our squad is really strong and it's not so easy to find players who can help us or improve the squad," Slot said. 

"Zubimendi was one of them to be fair, but he decided not to come. We go forward with the ones we have. 

"Endo did well in pre-season. We're in a good place. Richard is trying to strengthen the squad. Zubimendi decided not to come, we did every effort.

"If a player decides not to come then it's obvious he's not coming."

Another topic of conversation was the position that Trent Alexander-Arnold will play under Slot this season, having been tried in midfield for England at Euro 2024. 

Alexander-Arnold started in the Three Lions' two Group C games at the European Championships, but was substituted in both of those encounters. 

His performance in the 1-1 draw against Denmark saw him create more chances (three) and play more line-breaking passes in the final third (five) than any other player, despite leaving the field in the 54th minute. 

The full-back often drifted into midfield during Klopp's time at Anfield, and Slot is confident he can be an asset for the Reds, no matter what position he plays.

"A position for a player is always related to the team. The first aim is to bring the best out of the team. Trent is known for playing as a right full-back," Slot added. 

"When he was younger he played in midfield and he did it in the Euros.

"I think he can play both positions really well and it's up to me where I think he could help the team the most."

Gabriel Misehouy rescued a point for Girona on his debut as they salvaged a 1-1 draw at Real Betis in LaLiga, but coach Michel has warned the teenager must remain grounded.

The 19-year-old Dutch midfielder came off the bench for his debut in Girona's league opener at Betis, having joined from Ajax on a free transfer in July.

He found the equaliser from a counterattack he initiated and was a constant menace to Betis' backline, almost scoring the winner with some brilliant play late on.

Michel was not surprised by Misehouy's impact but told DAZN he has much to learn, saying: "Gabriel is a brutally talented player, but as of today he still lacks the collective mentality to be a great player.

"He has a lot of room for improvement. He still doesn't speak Spanish but I hope he listens to me...

"Maybe the goal won't do any good for him, I don't want it to be... He has a lot of talent, but we have to focus on him so that he can work for the group."

Missing several players due to illness, Michel was satisfied to leave Seville with a point to start a season in which Girona are under the spotlight, having finished third to reach the Champions League last term.

Even if they have lost the element of surprise, Michel is confident the club will continue their upward trajectory.

"I think the team had the personality to play with our idea, knowing that the connections are not yet there," he said. 

"I am very happy with the performance, knowing the problems we had."

Girona substitute Gabriel Misehouy struck in the 72nd minute to rescue a 1-1 draw at Real Betis in their opening game of LaLiga on Thursday.

Betis started well and opened the scoring in the sixth minute with a bullet header by defender Marc Bartra from a corner.

Abel Ruiz almost pulled Los Blanquivermells level on the hour-mark, darting in behind Betis' defence, only to poke his first-time shot against the near post.

However, Girona managed to find the equaliser with a close-range finish by Misehouy, who swept a neat finish into the far-bottom corner in his first game for the club.

Both teams had chances to win it late on, though Betis in particular will rue theirs as Chimy Avila's volley rattled Paulo Gazzaniga's goal frame before Nabil Fekir flashed an effort just wide in stoppage time.

Data Debrief: Spoils shared

Betis have not lost their first game of the season in any of the last five campaigns in LaLiga (winning three, drawing two), since a 1-2 loss against Real Valladolid in August 2019. 

Bartra's first-half goal was not enough to get them a win in the end, but he scored his 12th goal in LaLiga (seven with Betis, five for Barcelona), half of them being headers, with five of those six coming from corners.

Meanwhile, after losing his first four games against Betis in LaLiga between 2018 and 2023, Míchel is now unbeaten in three against them in the top-flight (one win, two draws).

PIF and Concacaf inked a multi-year partnership that supports their shared ambition to grow football at every level of the game in North America, Central America, and the Caribbean.

It was announced on Friday after an official signing in New York.

The partnership is expected to spur the growth of the sport at all levels, inspiring more people to take up football, as well as boost Concacaf tournaments for men, women, and youth of both national teams and clubs. Additionally, the two organizations will collaborate to strengthen and advance Concacaf football development initiatives, with a focus on providing children and youth with access to the sport in all 41 Concacaf federations.

The timing of the partnership comes as the region gears up to host major football tournaments in the coming years, including the men’s and women’s Concacaf Champions Cups, the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup, and the next FIFA World Cup in 2026, which will be jointly hosted by three Concacaf member federations – Canada, Mexico, and the United States.

In line with PIF’s focus on inclusivity and youth as key pillars of its sponsorship platform, the partnership will also support Concacaf in its efforts to increase the number of official youth championships it delivers in the coming years. This will provide further opportunities for emerging talents in the region, including through the Concacaf under-15, under-17, and under-20 championships for both men and women and the under-17 and under-20 competitions serving as qualification tournaments for FIFA U17 and U20 World Cups, respectively.

The Concacaf partnership adds to PIF’s growing portfolio of partnerships across tennis, golf, football, and electric motorsports, which focuses on investing in people, projects, and initiatives that embrace PIF’s four sponsorship pillars of inclusivity, sustainability, youth, and technology.

Concacaf president and FIFA vice president Victor Montagliani expressed delight at the partnership.

“We are very pleased to announce this new strategic partnership, which will support the confederation in developing all levels of football across our region,” Montagliani said.

“This is a pivotal time for PIF to connect with football in Concacaf. Interest in the sport is growing rapidly in our confederation and will reach new heights as major Concacaf competitions take place over the next two years and we get closer to the biggest-ever FIFA World Cup taking place in our region in 2026,” he added.

Meanwhile, Mohammed AlSayyad, Head of Corporate Brand at PIF, also beamed about the prospects.

“We are delighted to partner with Concacaf as the confederation enters an exciting period. Together, we will advance a series of initiatives to create a positive and lasting impact across all Concacaf competitions. As PIF expands its portfolio of inspiring sponsorships, our commitment to investing in sport remains constant,” AlSayyad shared.

The PIF and Concacaf partnership will also strengthen the growth and development of existing Concacaf initiatives. These include Concacaf’s “Bigger Game,” which leverages the popularity of football as a vehicle to deliver sport and education programs and initiatives in local communities across its 41-member federations and aims to build community partnerships, improve awareness, and amplify the voices of program beneficiaries.

Russell Martin admitted Southampton may need to adapt in the Premier League, but they will not change their philosophy ahead of their opener against Newcastle United.

The Saints got back to the top-flight at the first time of asking, beating Leeds United in the Championship play-off final to earn promotion to the Premier League.

They have prepared well ahead of the new campaign, only losing one of their pre-season friendlies, and Martin is confident Southampton have what it takes to go toe-to-toe with the other teams.

"There's a concern with any style for any team in the Premier League," he said in his press conference. "We are going to be defined by being good enough. Me, the players, we'll be called naive.

"We've done something here we really believe in. We'll have to adapt and change a little bit in terms of having less possession. We won't change our principles.

"We will concentrate on being the team we want to be."

Meanwhile, Newcastle did not quite hit the heights of their top-four finish in 2022-23 last season, but a positive finish to the campaign gave reason for optimism.

They lost just two of their last 10 matches in 2023-24, and only suffered one defeat during pre-season.

Eddie Howe is confident they have learnt from those struggles and have left them behind as they prepare for their opening match.

"Last season was really difficult. Overall, though, I thought it was a season of real progress," Howe told Stadium Astro.

"And I don't say that lightly, I do think we improved a lot. I am talking overall. I am looking at the club, I'm looking at the team. I think we have improved and moved on."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Newcastle United – Alexander Isak

Alexander Isak has scored 13 Premier League goals so far in 2024, including 11 in his last 12 appearances. It is more than twice as many as any other Newcastle player has scored so far this calendar year (Bruno Guimaraes is next highest with six).

Southampton – Adam Lallana

If Adam Lallana plays, it would be his first Premier League game for Southampton in 10 years and 98 days, the fifth-longest gap between appearances for the same side in the competition's history. Meanwhile, his last goal for the Saints came against this opponent, in a 4-0 win in March 2014.

MATCH PREDICTION: NEWCASTLE UNITED WIN

Newcastle have won seven of their last nine Premier League matches against Southampton, including the last three in a row. The Magpies have never won four league games in a row against the Saints before.

They have also lost just one of their last 20 Premier League games against promoted sides (won 11, drawn eight), with that defeat coming away against Luton Town last season (0-1).

And Howe has been particularly influential in the dugout, as Newcastle have won their Premier League opener in both campaigns under him. The last Magpies manager to win three in a row was Joe Harvey between 1972-73 and 1974-75.

St. James' Park has not been a particularly happy hunting ground for Southampton, who have managed just one win in their last 18 Premier League visits (drawn four, lost 13), winning 2-1 under Ronald Koeman in January 2015.

Southampton are without a win in their last 13 Premier League games (drawn four, lost nine), since beating Leicester City 1-0 in March 2023. It is their longest run without a win in the top-flight since a run of 17 between November 1988 and March 1989.

Meanwhile, among teams to have played in 10 or more Premier League seasons, Southampton have the lowest win ratio in their opening matches of the season, winning just two of 24 games (8%). Their 12 defeats to open a season are also the joint-second most alongside Newcastle and behind only West Ham United (15 defeats).

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Newcastle United – 70%

Draw – 16.9%

Southampton – 13.1%

Sean Dyche is ready for Everton to put last season's challenges behind them by making a positive start to the Premier League against Brighton on Saturday.

Everton had to contend with two points deductions last season, but an impressive run of results at the end of the campaign ensured they comfortably avoided relegation.

While they did not make the best start to pre-season, going winless in their first three games, they finished on a positive note, with a win against Preston North End and a draw with Roma.

Though they will be without key players for their opener, including Jarrad Branthwaite, Dyche is optimistic about what the season will bring.

"You get the sense that, after last season's challenges and the positive end, I think there is more calmness and positivity," Dyche said in his press conference.

"The reality of knowing the truth of what the situation is helps. But generally, being up and around people there is a better feeling.

"We have been trying to bring in players who fit into the club. We have worked hard collectively with the scouts to get the right players. The only balance to that is that they don't have much Premier League experience, so it is how quick they can be effective and adapt."

Meanwhile, Brighton are preparing for their first campaign under new manager Fabian Hurzeler.

They won all four of their pre-season games, scoring 14 goals and conceding just three, and James Milner believes the German has already started to make his mark.

"There is a good mix of the last manager [Roberto De Zerbi], who was build-up orientated, but maybe a bit of Jurgen Klopp thrown in," Milner told Sky Sports.

"The manager has been very clear about what he wants from us as a team and individuals. He has put his own stamp and intensity on things, he wants us to play front foot with and without the ball."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Everton – Jordan Pickford

Everton have lost their opening Premier League match in each of the last two seasons – both 1-0 at home – to Chelsea (2022-23) and Fulham (2023-24).

If they are to avoid starting their campaign with a defeat for a third year in a row for the first time since a run of four between 2008 and 2011, Jordan Pickford could be the key by leading from the back.

Brighton – Evan Ferguson

Evan Ferguson, then aged 18, scored in Brighton's 4-1 win against Luton Town on the opening weekend of the Premier League last season.

The only teenager to score on MD1 in more than one campaign is Michael Owen (1997-98 and 1998-99).

MATCH PREDICTION: EVERTON WIN

Everton won their first four home Premier League games against Brighton but are since winless in their last three against them at Goodison Park (drawing one, losing two).

However, Dyche's side have won five of their last eight Premier League games (drawn one, lost two), having been winless in their previous 13 (drawn six, lost seven). Indeed, since the first victory in that run on April 6, only four teams have won more Premier League points than the Toffees (16).

Meanwhile, Brighton lost their first match in three of their first four Premier League campaigns but have begun their last three seasons with victory. The Seagulls are looking to win their opening league game in four consecutive seasons for the first time ever.

They struggled at the end of last season though, losing their final two games to Chelsea and Manchester United, while they have not lost three consecutive league games since a run of six between February and March 2022.

The team scoring first has never lost a Premier League meeting between Everton and Brighton (won 10, drawn three), although the Toffees went 1-0 up in both games last season and both ended 1-1.

New manager Hurzeler will be hoping to get off to a winning start for his first game in charge. Born in February 1993, he will be the first manager to take charge of a Premier League game who was born after the competition started.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Everton – 40.4%

Draw – 26.6%

Brighton – 33%