Leicester City begin their title defence against Hull City on Saturday afternoon, as they become the first defending champions in history to kick off a new Premier League season.
The Foxes stunned the footballing world last time out when storming to the top-flight crown, but once again they have been written off by many as they prepare to do it all again with a trip to Humberside.
Hull City
© Getty ImagesThe worrying signs for Hull began as soon as the full-time whistle sounded at Wembley in May, as Steve Bruce admitted after the victory over Sheffield Wednesday that his future at the club was not exactly certain at that stage.
Bruce was unhappy with the lack of funds and, following a frustrating start to the Tigers' transfer negotiations, the former Manchester United defender stepped down from his position last month to leave City's plans in tatters.
Hardly an ideal way to begin your return to the top flight, then, and now it is left to Mike Phelan - for the short term, at least - to guide Hull towards survival; something that they have managed to achieve on both occasions following promotion in the past.
Indeed, City's problems usually arise in the second campaign at Premier League level, although finishing 17th or higher this time around already looks like being an extremely tough ask with not a single penny yet being spent on new recruits.
Hull remain the division's only side yet to bring in a new face, despite being linked with a handful of players who could each seemingly bolster this extremely thin squad - just 13 fit senior pros available for selection at the last count hardly providing supporters with much hope.
Phelan may have dented his hopes of landing the position full time when admitting on Friday that his side 'cannot compete in the Premier League' the way things stand, with a proposed takeover of the club yet to be completed on the eve of the new campaign and fans hardly jumping for joy upon their return to England's top flight.
Ever since the club was put up for sale by controversial owners Assem and Ehab Allam two years ago, following the farce that was the proposed name-change situation, Bruce has managed to do a stellar job of just about keeping things together, guiding the Humberside outfit back to the Prem even when far from their best last time out.
The Tigers have not only failed to recruit this summer but have also waved goodbye to playoff hero Mohamed Diame, who fancied a season or two back in the second tier rather than helping to steady what is already looking like a sinking ship at the KCOM Stadium.
A depleted squad, a club divided by its owners, no manager in charge and serious questions over the ability of those that do remain, this is set to be a tough campaign for Hull - and it does not get much tougher than an opening-day visit from the champions.
Pre-season form: DWWWDWWL
Leicester City
© Getty ImagesJust how do you go about following up the club's greatest achievement in its 132-year history? Well, in the words of the man who masterminded it all, you simply go and do it again.
On the eve of the new season, Claudio Ranieri admitted that it will be even tougher for his group of heroes to match their success of 2015-16 this time around, but was happy with the way his side have gone about their business this summer.
Three defeats on the spin, and 10 goals shipped in the process, hardly suggests that Leicester will head into the new campaign with momentum on their side, although it must be remembered that City swapped English minnows for the European elite this summer when facing Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona and, most recently, Manchester United in the Community Shield.
That 2-1 loss at Wembley Stadium on Sunday pretty much told us what we already knew about the Fearless Foxes; that they will never give up and will also look to pick teams off on the counter-attack once again this term just like they did over and over again between last August and May.
Ranieri has decided against looking for a Plan B, instead recruiting much of the same in terms of what his new arrivals will bring to the table; Nampalys Mendy offering a direct replacement for N'Golo Kante and Ahmed Musa providing even more pace in attack for City.
Keeping hold of his main men would have been the top target for Ranieri this term, having succeeded last season with a solid core that was stuck with throughout, and the Italian has just about managed that with Chelsea-bound Kante the only man to depart.
Kante was very much two players in one, though, and it remains to be seen exactly how Leicester will cope without the Frenchman in the heart of their solid midfield, while the added bonus of Champions League football at the King Power this term also brings with it a further challenge.
The biggest challenge of all, though, may very well be living up to the tag of champions, which will no doubt see City the team to beat for many - not least the division's traditional top-six sides who will have revenge on the mind following last season's shock final outcome.
So while results have hardly been all that inspiring during the summer, Leicester do still have Riyad Mahrez and Jamie Vardy fit and firing, with the latter boasting an impressive record of scoring the opening goal (12) more often last term than any other player in Europe's top five divisions.
Pre-season form (inc. Community Shield): WWLLL
Team News
© Getty ImagesTo sum up just how bad things are at Hull for this weekend's opener, Phelan has just one recognised centre-back available to select in Curtis Davies.
Jake Livermore, a midfielder by trade, will therefore drop into defence, as Michael Dawson, Alex Bruce and Harry Maguire each continue their comebacks from injury.
The good news for Hull, if you can call it that, is they have a small and settled group of players to choose from which could bring some much-needed squad harmony with it, and they do have a proven goalscorer in Abel Hernandez up top - at Championship level, at least.
Leicester have a fully-fit squad to choose from, meanwhile, although they will be without Robert Huth as he completes a three-game ban picked up at the back end of last season.
Mendy and Musa could both therefore be handed their league debuts, but Ranieri is likely to go with Shinji Okazaki in attack alongside prolific forward Vardy for the Premier League's curtain-raising fixture.
Hull City possible starting lineup:
Jakupovic; Elmohamady, Livermore, Davies, Robertson; Clucas, Huddlestone, Meyler, Snodgrass; Dimonade, Hernandez
Leicester City possible starting lineup:
Schmeichel; Simpson, Hernandez, Morgan, Fuchs; Mahrez, King, Drinkwater, Albrighton; Okazaki, Vardy
Head To Head
Hull are winless in their last five league meetings with Leicester, drawing two and losing three of those matches.
The Foxes have not conceded a goal in any of their last three encounters against their weekend opponents, either, including both Premier League games in 2014-15.
Leicester may be the first champions to kick off a new Prem campaign, but never before have the title winners lost their opening fixture.
We say: Hull City 0-3 Leicester City
Leicester were made to grind out victories in the final stages of their impressive title win last season, but they have a nice opening fixture to begin their campaign this time around against a Hull side desperate for new additions. Even stand-in boss Phelan has confessed that the Tigers are staring an immediate return to the Championship in the face before a ball is even kicked, with this opening fixture likely to set the tone for what is to come unless big changes are made both on and off the field.
