Things To Keep An Eye On In 2017/18

With Manchester United's Premier League opener against West Ham on the horizon, here we take a look at some of the new things to look out for for in the upcoming season.

PROMOTED SIDES
Of course, United will be joined by three new teams in the division this term, as Newcastle United and Brighton and Hove Albion both gained automatic promotion, while Huddersfield Town joined the top-flight via the play-offs. It's a first time in the Premier League for Brighton and Huddersfield. 

NEW GROUNDS
The Reds will travel to the Amex Stadium and John Smith's Stadium for the first time in the league, as well as Wembley, where Tottenham will play their home games.

NEW PLAYERS
Jose Mourinho has enjoyed a busy summer transfer window which has seen Romelu Lukaku, Nemanja Matic and Victor Lindelof all arrive at Old Trafford.

However, United’s rivals have also been busy over the summer and the Premier League will see the likes of Alvaro Morata, Alexandre Lacazette, Bernardo Silva and Mohamed Salah play their football in the English top-flight in 2017/18.

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
United will make a return to football's premier European competition this season, after qualifying for the Champions League by winning the Europa League last term.

The Group Stage draw will take place on 24 August, after all the qualifying rounds and play-offs have been completed.

LEAGUE CUP
The League Cup has been renamed the Carabao Cup, after being called the EFL Cup last term, when United lifted the trophy in February. The holders enter in round three due to our European commitments.

ABBA PENALTIES
The 2017/18 Carabao Cup will also see new ‘ABBA’ penalty system in action, which was trialled at both the men's and women's UEFA European Under-19s and Under-17s Championships this summer.

The ABBA system is said to favour the team that goes second, as it removes the psychological disadvantage of always having to play catch-up, and it will also be used in the Checkatrade Trophy and in the EFL play-offs. Arsenal beat Chelsea in the Community Shield using this system.

NEW REFEREES
The Premier League has added Chris Kavanagh to its list of Select Group 1 referees who will take charge of top-flight matches this season.

Meanwhile, Dan Cook will join the crop of assistant referees who will officiate games in the 2017/18 campaign.

SHIRT SLEEVE SPONSORS
The upcoming campaign will see Premier League clubs allowed shirt-sleeve sponsors for the very first time, although only the right sleeves will be used.

BANS FOR DIVING
For the first time ever, players who dive in the Premier League could face retrospective bans of up to two games, on the advice of a select panel.

NEW VIDEO TECHNOLOGY
From now on, video technology will be placed in the technical areas to help club doctors and physiotherapists watch incidents instantly, with the goal of further protecting players from the risks of concussion.

NEW NUMBERS AND LETTERS
For the first time in 10 years, United’s Premier League shirts will feature a new font for its numbers and letters.

NO MORE PITCH DESIGNS
The Premier League has banned pitch patterns and designs for the 2017/18 campaign. Leicester City's groundstaff were particularly creative in this area.

FIRST FRIDAY START
The Premier League’s opening fixture will be played on a Friday for the first time when Arsenal host Leicester City at the Emirates Stadium.

GET TO THE MATCH EARLY
From the start of the 2017/18 campaign, we are enhancing our searches of supporters at the turnstiles, this means searches will take longer and, as a result, queues will be longer too. So, please arrive at Old Trafford in plenty of time to minimise the risk of missing any of the action.

Credit: Manutd.com