The Royal Gazette Fantasy League is back for a sixth year with the start of the English Premier League season only hours away.

Newly minted European champions Liverpool get the season under way today at 4pm Bermuda time with a home match against Norwich City, promoted as winners of the Sky Bet Championship in 2018-19.

Champions Manchester City, who held off Liverpool in an enthralling title race, start their defence away to West Ham United on Saturday and the opening week is brought to its conclusion at Sunday teatime with the glamour tie of Matchday 1 — Manchester United v Chelsea, pitting one manager starting his first full Premier League season, Ole Gunnar Solsjkaer, against another, Frank Lampard.

United created the sensation of the off season over the weekend by completing the signing of Harry Maguire, the Leicester City and England central defender, for a world-record £85 million.

We will leave it to you, the punters, to determine whether that is value for money or if the likes of Moise Kean, the forward just signed for Everton from Juventus for £28 million, are best watched before making a commitment.

Whichever way you go, you have only hours to get your squads sorted before the first ball is kicked in anger.

The code to join the league for the 2019-20 season is vqhqab.

We will publish a weekly table and the lucky person who finishes top of the heap come May 17, 2020 will walk away with a prize valued at $1,000. Season prizes will be distributed to four places, with the runner-up getting $500, third place $300 and fourth place $200. In addition, there will be monthly gift certificates valued at $100 to incentivise late starters, and even poor starters, to give it a go.

Eligibility for prizes is restricted to those resident in Bermuda. Prizes not claimed within 30 days will be deemed invalid.

The competition is free to enter. To register, go to the Premier League’s website, premierleague.com, and enter the following code, vqhqab.