Super Lig enthusiasts still have an agonising week left until the new season kicks off but if the Premier League is your cup of tea the fun is about to being. Alternatively Belgium Pro League lovers are already two weeks into the league and the Eredevisie as well as Ligue 1 get underway over the weekend so there is plenty of football on offer.
Turkish-football.com will be running a weekly betting column keeping a tally of our win/loss record.
1. Arsenal to get off to a strong start
The Gunners are in buoyant mood after winning a succession of silverware. Arsenal ended the season on a high winning the FA Cup and went onto lift the Barclays Asia Trophy, the Emirates as well as the Community Shield against rivals Chelsea last week. The North London based club will take on West Ham in their opening game of the season. Hammers boss Slaven Bilic is a name most followers of Turkish football are all too familiar with after his stint at Besiktas. Bilic’s side have not had a particularly impressive start to the season and were dumped out of the Europa League on Thursday following a 2-1 defeat against Astra.
Under the stewardship of Bilic, Besiktas almost knocked Arsenal out of the Champions League play-off stages last season and the Black Eagles did put on some of their most impressive performances against Premier League opposition. West Ham have strengthened over the summer but Bilic is going to need time to get his side to settle and play his demanding style of football. It is also worth noting that the 46-year-old manager did not win a single derby during his time in Turkey. Arsenal have been firing on all cylinders over the summer and the likes of Mesut Ozil, Alexis Sanchez and Santi Cazorla are rearing to go.
Prediction: Arsenal -1 Asian Hanidcap @ 1.50 (Pinnacle)
