Ninety days after the old campaign closed amid the controversy of West Ham's relegation escape act, the Premier League season opens this weekend with expectations greater than ever but the same faces tipped to prosper.

Record sums have been spent by clubs this summer -- the combined total exceeding 350 million pounds ($710.2 million) -- yet champions Manchester United and Chelsea are again most people's title favourites.

United, who beat Chelsea on penalties in the Community Shield season-opener last weekend, start at home to Reading on Sunday.

Manager Alex Ferguson will be hoping United can repeat their blistering start of 12 months ago when their opening 10 games yielded 25 points.

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After surpassing expectations last season, Reading might find the going tougher and certainly they could not have asked for a harder start.

While Ferguson ponders an embarrassment of attacking riches, Chelsea counterpart Jose Mourinho will simply hope to have 16 fit players available for Sunday's home opener against promoted Birmingham City.

Chelsea enter the campaign hindered by a long injury list -- more than a dozen players were in the treatment room this week -- and Mourinho will hope new faces like Steve Sidwell and Tal Ben-Haim are ready to make an instant impression.

LONDON [Images] DERBY

Sunday's schedule also includes a London derby between Arsenal and Fulham with the home crowd eager for positive signs from the Gunners' first match of the post-Thierry Henry era.

The first kick of the season will come at Sunderland who mark their top-flight return with a home game against Tottenham Hotspur kicking off at 1145 GMT.

With Roy Keane in charge, the northeast club can expect to improve on their dismal showing of 2005/06 when Sunderland supporters waited until May to see a solitary home win.

However, Sunderland's credentials will be tested by a Tottenham side targeting a top-four finish. An outlay of over 40 million pounds, including 16.5 million on striker Darren Bent, has fuelled expectations at Spurs and seven straight wins in pre-season augur well.

Liverpool, away to Aston Villa, have even higher hopes for 2007/08 with Rafael Benitez's side, now featuring record-signing Fernando Torres, expected to challenge seriously for the title.

For West Ham United supporters, it will be a relief to get back to watching football again after a close season dominated by the Carlos Tevez saga.

West Ham start off against Manchester City in what is new City boss Sven-Goran Eriksson's first match since England [Images] exited the 2006 World Cup.

Another new managerial appointment, Sam Allardyce, will doubtless be looking forward to his first fixture as Newcastle United boss -- back at his old club Bolton Wanderers.

Elsewhere on Saturday, Everton are at home to Wigan Athletic, promoted Derby County welcome Portsmouth and Blackburn Rovers visit Middlesbrough.

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