Fourteen weeks after winning its first English title in 44 years in the most dramatic of circumstances, Manchester City will return to the Etihad Stadium to begin the defence of the championship with a match against newly-promoted Southampton on August 18.
City, which scored twice in injury-time on the final day of last season to pip archrival Manchester United to the title, then travel to Liverpool for their second game in the fixture list that was released by the Premier League on Monday.
United starts against Everton away, with the Manchester clubs meeting in derby matches provisionally scheduled at City on December 8 and United on April 6.
City arguably has the easier run-in, with games against promoted pair West Ham and Reading as well Swansea and Norwich in its last four matches. In the same period, United must play Arsenal away and Chelsea at home.
Roberto Di Matteo’s first match as permanent manager of European champion Chelsea will be at Wigan while new Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers will take his team to West Bromwich Albion for the first game. Arsenal, which finished third last season, hosts Sunderland.
Perhaps the most eye-catching opening-day match is Tottenham’s trip to Newcastle, bringing together teams that both finished last season in the top six.
Rodgers will bid to turn around Liverpool’s dreadful home form of last season but the team’s first three matches at Anfield are against City, Arsenal and United.
The Liverpool-Man United game is on September 22, which will potentially be the first meeting between Liverpool striker Luis Suarez and United defender Patrice Evra since Suarez’s snub of his counterpart during a pre-match handshake at Old Trafford in February.
Opening weekend fixtures:
Arsenal vs. Sunderland
Everton vs. Manchester United
Fulham vs. Norwich
Manchester City vs. Southampton
Newcastle vs. Tottenham
Queens Park Rangers vs. Swansea
Reading vs. Stoke
West Bromwich Albion vs. Liverpool
West Ham vs. Aston Villa
Wigan vs. Chelsea
Keywords: English Premier League
