Premier League preview part 1: The title challengers

**Tom Williams** (0:00)
Hello, there.

**James Richardson** (0:01)
It's Totally Football Show, back from Los Angeles, back in London. I'm looking forward to our new digs. Let's see, around the back of the Premier Inn.
This must be the place.
Well, it is a new Premier season. There's about to get underway at least. I hope you're ready for some suddenly tiny looking stadiums and halves that seem to go on and on with no hydration whatsoever. What's going to happen? Who are going to be the champs? We're going to start the first of our two preview shows with that very question.
Who's your favourite? Is it Arsenal? The reigning champs? There's Bruno G coming in and there's little solace for their opponents. That's their new winger, Christos. And they already blew past Man City last Sunday. What of City? Where it's the beginning of the Enzo was the Community Shielder preview of a post-pep problem pile-up. Then there's Chelsea. No, seriously, with Xabi Alonso. Do they have the along shot? And we'll be talking about Man Utd and Liverpool too in this Totally Football Show. Welcome back to The Totally Football Show. And I hope you enjoy our fresh surroundings for today's show. Lovely looking spot. The swimming pool just had a shot over there. You're certainly going to enjoy the thrilling lineup that we put together for the first of these preview shows. Duncan Alexander.

**Duncan Alexander** (1:22)
Hello, how are you?

**James Richardson** (1:23)
I'm well. Good to see you again, Duncan.

**Duncan Alexander** (1:25)
And you?

**James Richardson** (1:25)
Liam Twomey is with us.

**Liam Twomey** (1:26)
Hi, James.

**James Richardson** (1:27)
And Tom Williams.

**Tom Williams** (1:28)
Hello, James.

**James Richardson** (1:29)
All right, Tom.

**Tom Williams** (1:30)
Here we are again.

**James Richardson** (1:31)
Here we are again. It's been about, what, a month since the ranch?

**Tom Williams** (1:35)
Yeah, we made a tearful farewell to the Totally LA Ranch.

**James Richardson** (1:40)
You look different. Is it a kind of Xabi Alonso vibe going on there?

**Tom Williams** (1:48)
Well, I'm soft launching a moustache. I don't have enough of a conviction in what I'm doing. So I'm still quite bearded. Yeah. But you're the first person to have noticed, James. And it's been there for about a month.
So thank you.

**Liam Twomey** (2:03)
So what you're saying is the comment section will be vital.

**Tom Williams** (2:06)
Yeah. It will basically live or die on the comment section. So be gentle, please.

**James Richardson** (2:11)
I'm already casting my vote on that one.
Duncan, how have you been since the World Cup? Good.

**Duncan Alexander** (2:17)
Tour de France was fun. Oh, yeah. I had a bit of down time in Italy.

**James Richardson** (2:22)
Nice. Where did you go?

**Duncan Alexander** (2:23)
Tuscany.

**James Richardson** (2:23)
Nice.

**Duncan Alexander** (2:24)
Very nice. And then went to Blackpool for Wickham's opening game. Tuscany, Blackpool.

**James Richardson** (2:30)
Classic combo. How did Wickham's?

**Duncan Alexander** (2:31)
Towers in both, I guess.

**James Richardson** (2:32)
Yeah, very true. And how did Wickham get on?

**Duncan Alexander** (2:35)
They got a 1-1 draw in possibly the most 1-1 game in the history of football. But, you know, that's good, right?

**James Richardson** (2:40)
If only there was time to talk more about that. Liam Twomey, I haven't seen you since before.

**Liam Twomey** (2:47)
Yes.

**James Richardson** (2:47)
All the shenanigans.

**Liam Twomey** (2:48)
Yes.

**James Richardson** (2:49)
How was your work up?

**Liam Twomey** (2:51)
It was good, yeah. Following from the UK.
Did plenty of podcast work, plenty of writing, kept very busy. There were, as you know, astonishingly few rest days in the whole tournament, wall-to-wall football. So, don't, I wouldn't call refreshed the word ahead. Because if you've been at it since, yeah?

**James Richardson** (3:12)
Yeah. You've been kept busy with the Chelsea stuff.

**Liam Twomey** (3:16)
Yeah, exactly. Premier League preview plus all the transfers in the world, plus fresh ownership drama. Wow.

**James Richardson** (3:25)
Wow, Chelsea, huh? So much to talk about today.
Big question, who's going to win the title? Who's everybody tipping for the very top? We've also got a little bit of rule changes and other things. The nine managerial movements that have happened, which are making everything a little bit more unpredictable. But those rule changes, Liam, would you get us something them up for us?

**Liam Twomey** (3:50)
Don't waste time.
That would be the shortest possible. I haven't wasted any time there, so I feel like I'm abiding by them.

**James Richardson** (3:57)
If you're being subbed, get off.

**Liam Twomey** (3:59)
Yeah.

**James Richardson** (3:59)
If you're a goalie looking to fake an injury, for that reason, don't.