After a long summer, the English Premier League is not far away from commencing its 2015-16 season. There are a plethora of plot lines to follow; can Chelsea repeat their dominant form from a season ago? Will Manchester United continue to make improvements in Year 2 under Louis van Gaal? And as always, how will the three promoted teams (Bournemouth, Norwich City, Watford), fare in the top flight?

SATURDAY

For the second year in a row, Old Trafford hosts the very first game of the new season. United suffered a shock loss a year ago to Swansea City, and are hoping for better fortune against Tottenham Hotspur. Four games are scheduled for the 10 AM ET window, as all three promoted teams get their first taste of the EPL; Bournemouth and Norwich will both open at home – against Aston Villa & Crystal Palace, respectively – while Watford faces a tricky trip to Goodison Park when they play Everton. Leicester & Sunderland both performed miraculous escapes at the end of last season to avoid relegation; the Foxes & Black Cats will play each other to open a new season in the top flight. The late game Saturday features defending champions Chelsea hosting a Swansea team that’s capable of pulling an opening day upset, though Jose Mourinho’s men will be considered favorites to win.

SUNDAY

Arsenal have won the last two FA Cups, and gained confidence from last week’s Community Shield win over Chelsea, but the Gunners feel ready to mount a serious title challenge; they host West Ham at Emirates Stadium; at the same time, one of the northernmost teams in the League (Newcastle) hosts one of the southernmost teams (Southampton); after many key players left for clubs with bigger pedigrees a year ago, how will the Saints cope without Morgan Schneiderlin? In the late game on Sunday, Liverpool officially begin a chapter of life after Steven Gerrard, when the Reds visit Stoke.

MONDAY

The only match Monday features West Brom hosting Manchester City, winners of two of the last four titles. WBA is another side capable of pulling an upset on any given day – they’ve won at Old Trafford each of the last two seasons – while City has been known recently for getting off to fast season starts. How serious their title challenge will be in 2015/16 can be revealed with Monday’s result.

This is the final season on the current broadcasting contract for NBC Sports, which has received a lot of praise for its first two years of airing the Premier League. The network is competing with ESPN & Fox Sports for the next term of broadcasting rights in the United States, although if most EPL fans get their wish, NBC will maintain the rights for several more years to come. Regardless of the future, a new season is here, with 20 clubs vying for a championship.