Premier League begins with champions Arsenal facing Coventry.
 

Inside Track

Inside Track

 

By Aadi Nair, Sports Correspondent 

Hello!

The Premier League is back and after finally ending a 22-year wait for the title, Arsenal are about to find out whether that was the easy bit.

Mikel Arteta's side start at home against Coventry on Friday and for the first time in a long time, they are the top dogs, a tag that brings with it serious pressure.

Lori Ewing sets the scene for a Premier League season that feels unusually hard to call, with nine clubs having new managers in the dugout, including Arsenal's title rivals Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea.

My colleague Martyn Herman looks at whether the stability of having Arteta at the helm for over six years gives the north London club the edge, while Rohith Nair examines whether last season's champions can turn their breakthrough into enduring success. 

Further down, Alan Baldwin has the details on Yuki Tsunoda's Greek holiday being cut short by an emergency return to Formula One.

 

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Arsenal launch title defence as new-look Premier League kicks off

Nine clubs begin the Premier League season with new managers, including Manchester City, Chelsea, Liverpool, Nottingham Forest and Fulham. REUTERS/Agustin Marcarian

For years Arsenal were the hunters. On Friday they become the hunted as they launch the new Premier League season at home to promoted Coventry City, carrying the burden that comes with reaching the summit.

Winning the title ended one journey; attempting to retain it begins another. History shows that staying on top can be even more difficult than getting there.

Behind them, much of the league has been reshaped. Nine new managers, the departure of several heavyweight players including Manchester City's Rodri and Liverpool talisman Mohamed Salah, and sweeping changes at some of England's biggest clubs have the league entering a new era as another nine-month drama begins.

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