Welcome to the new season James Ward-Prowse! The Saints midfielder is clattered by a high challenge by Etienne Capoue. Free-kick to Southampton about 30 yards out.

Image source, Reuters

Time for a quick Watford huddle before Southampton get the game under way at a warm St Mary's.

A quick reminder of the teams....

Southampton XI: Forster, Cedric, Yoshida, van Dijk, Targett, Romeu, Davis, Ward-Prowse, Tadic, Redmond, Long.

Watford XI: Gomes, Cathcart, Prodl, Britos, Amrabat, Capoue, Behrami, Guedioura, Holebas, Deeney, Ighalo.

Raucous reception as both teams emerge from the tunnel. New Saints boss Claude Puel is looking smart and sharp in his suit and is busy signing autographs as the clock ticks down to kick-off. We're moments away from the start of a new season at St Mary's Stadium.

Image source, Reuters

Phil McNulty
BBC Sport chief football writer

Southampton

This season: 12th

Last season: 6th

It has been a groundhog summer for the Saints as their manager and various players left St Mary's.

They lost boss Ronald Koeman to Everton, having lost Mauricio Pochettino to Spurs before him in 2014, while striker Sadio Mane followed the path to Liverpool that was previously taken by Adam Lallana, Dejan Lovren, Rickie Lambert and Nathaniel Clyne.

Victor Wanyama also went to Spurs to continue the pattern that has characterised their recent history.

And yet Southampton have not simply survived but flourished despite key losses in recent years. The question is how long can Southampton keep pulling off this same trick? 

Head over here to see Phil's predictions in full - and share your own thoughts on what might happen. 

Image source, Rex Features

Tony Husband
Match Of The Day

Walter Mazzarri is Watford's eighth boss in four years. Like Southampton boss Claude Puel, he's new to the Premier League but has vast experience. 

The Hornets have used a 3-5-2 formation, external for much of pre-season, but much rests on Odion Ighalo finding goalscoring form alongside talisman Troy Deeney and new signing Isaac Success.

Image source, Rex Features

Image source, .

Striker Jerome Sinclair, 19, arrived from Liverpool while defender Christian Kabasele, 25, played for Belgian club Genk last season. The wonderfully-named Isaac Success, 20, is Watford's club record signing from Granada and full-back Juan Camilo Zuniga, 30, is a Colombia international and is on a season-long loan from Valencia. Defender Brice Dja Djedje, 25, has played for Ivory Coast and was at Marseille last season.

Phil McNulty
BBC Sport chief football writer

Watford

This season: 18th

Last season: 13th

Watford slumped badly in the second half of last season and will hope new manager Walter Mazzarri can re-ignite the optimism of the first part of the campaign after the departure of Quique Sanchez Flores.

The experienced Italian will lean heavily on the goals of captain Troy Deeney and his partnership with Odion Ighalo. Jerome Sinclair has arrived from Liverpool with a big reputation but is unproven.

It will be a dogfight near the bottom. Can The Hornets survive? I'm not sure they can.

Head over here to see Phil's predictions in full - and share your own thoughts on what might happen. 

Image source, Rex Features

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Winger Nathan Redmond, 22, joined Southampton from relegated Norwich City while Denmark midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, 21, arrived from German champions Bayern Munich.

Goalkeeper Alex McCarthy, 26, made seven Premier League appearances for Crystal Palace last season. French defender Jeremy Pied, 27, played for Nice last season and has arrived on a free.

Tony Husband
Match Of The Day

New managers, new formations and some new players will be on show at St Mary's for a clash of two clubs accustomed to change.

The Saints, with Frenchman Claude Puel in charge, must prove they can cope without the goals of the departed Sadio Mane and Graziano Pelle. Step up Shane Long and summer signing Nathan Redmond in a diamond formation.

Puel has a reputation for sticking around wherever he has worked - that would be welcome on the south coast.

Image source, Rex Features

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Southampton's new £10m winger Nathan Redmond makes his Premier League debut for his new club after arriving from Norwich City in the summer.

Boss Claude Puel has named his other three new signings Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg,Alex McCarthy and Jeremy Pied on the bench.

Southampton XI: Forster, Cedric, Yoshida, Van Dijk, Targett, Romeu, Davis, Ward-Prowse, Tadic, Redmond, Long.

Image source, .

Watford are without club record signing Isaac Success and new defender Brice Dja Djedje because of injury. Teenage striker Jerome Sinclair, who joined from Liverpool this summer, is on the bench.

Watford XI: Gomes, Cathcart, Prodl, Britos, Amrabat, Capoue, Behrami, Guedioura, Holebas, Deeney, Ighalo.

How did you get on last season? Got a reputation to protect? Or maybe you're new to the game and keen to impress?  

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Two newly-appointed managers. Millions of pounds spent on transfers. One team looking forward to a season in Europe, the other seeking to build on last season's mid-table finish.

The Premier League is back and optimism is sky high at both Southampton and Watford as they launch new eras under Claude Puel and Walter Mazzarri respectively.

But will it be the Saints or the Hornets who get the season off to a flying start?