The fixtures for next season have been released, and fans up and down the United Kingdom – and across the world – have been poring over the calendar eyeing up key matches for their team. The schedule can have a significant impact on a club’s fortunes; whether your team is likely to be gunning for the title or battling relegation, a difficult run-in can make or break your season. What’s more, it lets supporters begin to make plans as to which games they’ll attend.
Manchester City will be bidding to become the first team in the Premier League era to win 4 titles in consecutive seasons after they made it 3 in a row in the last campaign. They’ll open their title defence away at newly promoted Burnley, who are managed by former City defender Vincent Kompany, on 11 August. October and November will be a particularly tough test of the Sky Blues; among their matches in that time are trips to Arsenal, Manchester United, and Chelsea, as well as home clashes with Brighton & Hove Albion and Liverpool.
Last season’s runners up, Arsenal, open their campaign at home to Nottingham Forest after the latter’s impressive achievement of survival. They’ll have their eyes on this season’s North London Derbies against bitter rivals Tottenham Hotspur, whom they face at home on 23 September and away on 27 April.
Manchester United will also hope to be in the hunt for their first title since 2013; they’ll kick off at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers on 14 August, and they’ll be hoping to avoid an early Halloween nightmare when they host City for the season’s first Manchester Derby on 28 October.
Rounding out the top 4 last season were slight surprise package Newcastle United. Their opener at home to Aston Villa – who also enjoyed an excellent campaign by finishing 7th – promises to kick things off with a bang as they look to repeat last season’s achievement while also dealing with the extra workload of UEFA Champions League football.
Meanwhile, Luton Town will enjoy their first campaign in the top-flight since 1991/92 after gaining promotion from the Championship. The Hatters face the unenviable task of travelling to Brighton on the opening weekend, hoping to topple a Seagulls side that finished 6th last season.