The pre-noon kick-off will see the recently promoted Sunderland, led by the legendary Roy Keane host one of the pretenders to the English "Big Four" (more on that) Tottenham Hotspur.

But first, why watch the Premier League?

Well for one, the action is fast flowing and end-to-end. The tackles are full-blooded, the interplay swift and thereby the entertainment unparalleled. The players are the most famous in the world and the managers are no less daunting.

Virtually speaking, this is as big as it gets.

On the ground though, some problems are worryingly obvious and none more so than the monopoly of the aforementioned "Big Four".

Watchers of the Premier League will be well aware of this term (and chose to smooth over it) but before the other group conjures up some Orwellian imagery of totalitarian rule (not far from the truth) an explanation is due.

The Premiership Big Four consist of Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal. And what is worrying about these four teams is that apart from being quite a match for any other side in the world, they prove to be a step beyond any of the other sixteen sides in the English top division over the course of the season.

It would even have been slightly reassuring to say that the EPL has been an oligopoly but a duopoly would be more close to the truth. Liverpool despite their increasing investment have failed to click week in week out and need we say anymore about the departure of the Gallic fixture in the Arsenal side. So Manchester United and Chelsea it has been and a two-horse race is as good a bet as any for the league title come May.

United have been far the busier of the two teams, investing wisely (if exorbitantly) to procure the services of Owen Hargreaves and Carlos Tevez. One will plug the midfield while the other will offer more mobility in attack a trend Sir Alex Ferguson prefers these days. Two more significant investments have been made, both to secure prodigious talents. Nani the left-winger from Portugal and Anderson, a Brazilian import from the same country. It may yet be early for the two but don't count them out to make an impact. United are evens to retain the crown they won last season especially if Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney can forge the partnership of last season. C'Ron in particular will be looking to establish himself as one of the leading players in the world.

Chelsea have been surprisingly prudent snapping up three players on free transfers and only trumping some 14 million Euros for French left-winger Florent Malouda. The 2006 World Cup runner-up will allow Jose Mourinho to play a more expansive winger accommodated style this season. His high work rate, and overall intelligence will be an asset to a Chelsea side who will have atleast two players with a lot to prove.

Michael Ballack and Andriy Shevchenko have hardly set pulses racing in their first season and although both are nursing injuries, they will be eager to make their mark. This added incentive will hopefully for Mourinho compensate the loss of last season hero Didier Drogba, Michael Essien and John Obi Mikel to the African Cup of Nations in January.

Liverpool finally look genuine title contenders but their have been too many false dawns to interest the Kop faithful. They have invested big to bring in Spanish starlet Fernando Torres and with the former Atletico Madrid man keen to make a name for himself, Liverpool may yet benefit from his ambition. Rafa Benitez's managerial acumen is second to none and he is quite the right man to mould his generous squad into champion material.

Finally, Arsenal. Gone is Thierry Henry and while many may believe this to be the beginning of the end for the Gunners, Arsene Wenger hardly sees it that way. Cesc Fabregas and William Gallas have been given bigger roles in the team and this could be the season Robin van Persie emerges from the shadows. The Gunners haven't quite run out of bullets yet.

But the biggest question is who can break this rapidly tiring dominance?

With some 500 million Euros invested into new players across the Premiership, Tottenham Hotspur still look the best bet.

Dimitar Berbatov made a huge impact in his first season in England and even if his goals aren't enough, there is 16 million pound man Darren Bent for backup. A speedy Aaron Lennon and sturdy defence might yet propel Spurs to break the dominance.

Manchester City and Newcastle are new starters. Sven Goran Eriksson and Big Sam Allardyce will look to mould the squad into their own image. Sven has done a major rebuilding and has attracted talent of the like of Valerie Bojinov and Roland Bianchi to the City of Manchester. Allardyce has managed to hold on to both Michael Owen and Oba Martins and if those two click then the Magpies can also put false dawns behind them.

Without being too harsh, the rest save perhaps Everton and Aston Villa make up the numbers and may provide a few surprises.

Hopefully this could be the season were the dominance of the Big Four ends but it still looks unlikely.

Come May don't be surprised if either of the two Reds or the Blues from London are the ones hoisting aloft the famous trophy.