The EPL is back. Not so much with a bang as a clatter – rebuilding work is still going on at most of the top-flight teams.

And if Manchester City are favourites, the levelling up could mean a Big Eight instead of a Big Six battling for the top four places.

On Sunday (11pm in Malaysia), we get an instant look at the two big boys that were most in need of repair.

Chelsea v Liverpool is always a tasty encounter – the clubs being polar opposites in every way – even in how they spend money.

Both are owned by American billionaires, yet one might be Scrooge, the other a lottery winner on speed.

They do have different amounts of damage to fix: for Liverpool, last season was a disappointment; for Chelsea it was a disaster.

But still neither set of fans is happy.

The Reds have been undermined by the shock loss of two midfield pillars, while Todd Boehly continues to make Roman Abramovich look like a cheapskate.

After snaring Alex Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai for just £90 million, Liverpool have been acting like a penny-pinching housewife in a fish market.

No less than three bids for Romeo Lavia have been knocked back by Southampton and now Chelsea could gazump them.

That would be a gut-wrencher for Liverpool and spark “FSG Out” protests.

What makes the penny-wise pound-foolishness so hard to take is that it could be the third time it wrecks a season before it starts.

Inadequate back-up cost them dear when Virgil van Dijk was crocked in 2020 as it did a year ago when midfield reinforcements failed to materialise.

If that was carelessness, what would a third injury crisis be called?

The departures of Jordan Henderson and Fabinho were unexpected but a failure to replace them could scupper top-four hopes.

Chelsea’s problem is the yin to Liverpool’s yang as new boss Mauricio Pochettino struggles to remember the names of all the recruits.

And now, besides the £50m Lavia, the Blues seem prepared to bring in Brighton’s Moises Caicedo for £100m. Both are defensive midfielders.

Two names on the rumour mill that Poch will know well are Neymar and Kylian Mbappe as Paris Saint-Germain try to banish their image as a celebrity rest home.

Just how Chelsea propose to meet Financial Fair Play rules with this pair would be almost as much fun as watching them play in the EPL.

Making it slightly less fanciful is that new star striker Christopher Nkunku has a knee injury likely that will keep him out till December.

Incredibly, despite the spending, they lack goal scorers which will be a relief to a Liverpool defence still in need of back-up.

More than any other club, we may not know what sort of season either will have until the transfer window shuts on September 1st.

Elsewhere, Arsenal have been the biggest spenders so far while City are beginning to stir.

On top of Josko Gvardiol, they’re chasing West Ham’s Brazilian midfielder Lucas Paqueta.

But having lost Ilkay Gundogan and Riyad Mahrez, you just wonder if they’re going to be a bit short of goals?

That’s not forgetting Erling Haaland but could opponents have wised up on how to deal with the giant Viking Invader?

City kick off the season tonight at newly-promoted Burnley who’ll just be happy to keep the score down: last season City beat them 6-0 in the FA Cup.

Arsenal, fielding Declan Rice, Kai Havertz and Jurrien Timber, has what looks an easy opportunity to avenge the defeat that cost them the title in May.

They will have a familiar foe in former reserve keeper Matt Turner, whom visitors Nottingham Forest have made only their third signing of the summer.

The American No 1 looks destined for a busy return.

That said, like City, Arsenal may be a touch short on goals for the rest of the season with the injury-prone Gabriel Jesus missing once again.

Spurs’ first post-Harry Kane season hinges on how the club spend the £86m fee agreed with Bayern Munich for their talisman.

There will be a giant hole upfront but they do have a mercurial Brazilian striker in Richarlison, and a lot of money to spend.

New boss Ange Postecoglou has made a favourable impression but will have a tough job getting into the Champions League places without Kane.

James Maddison is a worthy addition as he’ll provide creativity and a few goals from midfield, but the Aussie manager must get Son Heung-min to shine again as well as make a few key signings.

Anything other than a win at a Brentford minus suspended Ivan Toney and departed David Raya will be seen as ominous.

Like Arsenal, Manchester United look to have a home banker against crisis-hit Wolves on Monday.

Surprisingly, given the impasse over the club sale, transfer funds have been provided with Rasmus Hojland, a young Danish striker, the latest recruit.

Whether it’s a sign the Glazers might be staying or not, it doesn’t quell the concerns.

From this vantage point, it looks like £170m has been spent on an inferior keeper (Andre Onana), a mediocre midfielder (Mason Mount) and a striker who scored nine goals last season yet cost more than Haaland.

Golden Glove winner David de Gea has been prematurely jettisoned but these are Erik ten Hag’s choices and he’s been right about most things.

Another big decision is what they do about Mason Greenwood. We shall know today.

If the Big Six are to become a Big Eight (at least in the playing sense), the two most likely interlopers meet at St James’s Park.

Newcastle muscled into the top four last season while, under Unai Emery, Aston Villa made a late surge. Their clash could also tell us a lot.

The Magpies continue to build without fuss, identifying targets that no one else seems to want and which seem like excellent value.

Italian midfielder Sandro Tonali and young full-back Tino Livramento have cost £100m between them, but Eddie Howe hasn’t bought a dud yet.

Whatever happens between now and the window shutting, this season promises to be a cracker.

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of FMT.