Premier League champions Liverpool will begin the defence of their title against newly-promoted Leeds at Anfield on September 12 as the new season starts with a bang.
After just seven weeks from the conclusion of last season, the new campaign will kick-off on September 12 with a clash between the winners of the Premier League and the Championship. The season concludes on May 23
Marcelo Bielsa will lead the Sky Bet Championship winners into their first Premier League campaign in 16 years with the ultimate test against Jurgen Klopp’s dominant title winners of last season.
The Reds, who finished 18 points clear of the chasing pack when wrapping up the league with seven games to spare, started last season at home to newly-promoted Norwich so will be hoping for a similar outcome.
It's a tough start for Liverpool, who after taking on Leeds go on to face Chelsea, Arsenal and Everton in the space of four games.
Title favourites Manchester City kick-off have a delayed attempt to win a third title in four years with their home fixture against Aston Villa postponed after their Champions League campaign.
Premier League opening day fixtures (Sep 12 unless stated)
- Burnley v Man Utd - Postponed
- Crystal Palace v Southampton
- Fulham v Arsenal
- Liverpool v Leeds
- Man City v Aston Villa - Postponed
- Tottenham v Everton
- West Brom v Leicester
- West Ham v Newcastle
- Brighton v Chelsea (Sep 14)
- Sheff Utd v Wolves (Sep 14)
Newly-promoted West Brom celebrate being back in the big time with a home game against Leicester, while Championship play-off winners Fulham host FA Cup winners Arsenal.
Scott Parker managed to bounce the Cottagers right back up at the first time of asking, and they’ll face an immediate test of their credentials against Mikel Arteta’s improving Gunners.
Man Utd also have their opening game at Burnley postponed after their Europa League run, while fellow Champions League qualifiers Chelsea go to Brighton on Monday September 14 as they unveil Timo Werner and Hakim Ziyech as their new big signings.
Season highlights
Title favourites Liverpool and Manchester City are expeted to go head-to-head again for the title, and in the last two seasons games between them have had a huge say on the destination of the title.
In 2018/29 City got a draw at Anfield before narrow 2-1 win at the Etihad proved to be the catalyst for their title success, while last season Liverpool destroyed City at Anfield in November to cement their dominance and City could never recover.
This season, the two sides again meet in November at the Etihad with the return at Anfield in February.
The Manchester derbies slated for December 12 (Old Trafford) and March 6 (Etihad) – with all dates subject to change for TV coverage - while North London derbies between Arsenal and Tottenham are scheduled for December 5 (Tottenham Hotspur Stadium) and March 13 (Emirates).
Midweek fixtures are at a premium as competition organisers try and fit a full season into one less month, with the first four rounds of the Carabao Cup – Premier League sides enter in the second and third rounds depending on European commitments – accounting for the first four midweek slots of the campaign.
Later in the season, FA Cup replays have been scrapped to further ease the burden on squads, while all 20 competing clubs wait to learn when they will be able to play in front of a crowd again with fixtures currently behind closed doors due to the pandemic.
The number of live games will increase from 200 to 220 for this season only.
By the time Liverpool host Crystal Palace on the final weekend of the season they will hope a successful title defence has been completed, though the likes of Manchester City (Everton at home), Manchester United (Wolves away) and Chelsea (Aston Villa away) will want to have something to say about that.
Leeds and West Brom will hope their final-day shoot-out is not a relegation one, as will Fulham and Newcastle, while Arsenal close against Brighton, Leicester at home to Spurs, Sheffield United against Burnley and Southampton at West Ham.
