The Premier League fixtures have been announced and there are already some pretty tasty games to look forward to. Here’s what to look ahead to, with the fixture list courtesy of BBC Sport.
Arsenal, as always it seems, begin at home but with a tricky test against Liverpool. Jurgen Klopp is expected to transform the Reds’ squad this summer, so it will certainly be interesting to see how they fare against the Gunners.
Jose Mourinho, meanwhile, will start life as Manchester United manager with a trip to Bournemouth. Sounds easy. However, the Red Devils lost that game last season, so they will be hoping their new boss has put to bed some of the errors that cost them dearly last season.
Of course, the game everyone is looking out for is the first Manchester derby, which has added significance this time around. 10 September will see Mourinho face Pep Guardiola for the first time in the Premier League, and if the pair’s rivalry is anything like it was in La Liga, we are in for a tense afternoon.
For Manchester City, Christmas is going to be tough. In December, they face Chelsea, Leicester, Arsenal, and Liverpool, so it could be a make or break period for their title bid.
Champions Leicester will head to Hull on the opening day with the pressure on to prove they were not just a one-season wonder. They’ll be huge favourites against the newly-promoted Tigers, but it remains to be seen whether they’ll be able to carry their form on after that.
The previous champions who Leicester toppled, Chelsea, are as ever, difficult to predict. They will begin at home to West Ham, taking some solace in the fact that they can’t possibly have a worse season than last year.
The Hammers being away for the opening day means their first game at the Olympic Stadium will be against Bournemouth, and it will be interesting to see if they can recreate the atmosphere of their old ground.
Speaking of old grounds, this will the last ever season played at White Hart Lane. Tottenham have an incredibly tough end to the season, facing Leicester, Arsenal, West Ham, Man United, and Hull in their final five. Hull is away, so Mourinho’s Man United will be the last team to be welcomed to the current Spurs ground. Expect that one to be rocking – and it could even be a title-decider.
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