Manchester City beat Tottenham in the Carabao Cup final in April
Champions Manchester City will have to travel to Tottenham on the opening weekend of the 2021/22 Premier League season.
The first meetings take place on August 14th and promoted Brentford welcomes Arsenal in their first top game since the 1946/47 season.
Norwich and Watford, who also rose last season, face Liverpool and Aston Villa, respectively.
Manchester United welcomes Leeds, Champions League winners Chelsea welcomes Crystal Palace.
Premier League clubs were able to accommodate fans with reduced capacity when Covid-19 restrictions were eased towards the end of the 2020-21 season.
It is not yet known how many fans will be able to attend the new season’s opening games, but the Premier League said it is “committed to the ambition to have full stadiums, including away fans, from the start of the season”.
The men’s and women’s Wimbledon Finals will be the first UK outdoor sporting events to host full spectators in July, while Wembley will also have 50% capacity games – around 45,000 – for the K.
First round of the game complete
Brentford – Arsenal
Burnley versus Brighton
Chelsea versus Crystal Palace
Everton – Southampton
Leicester City – Wolverhampton
Manchester United versus Leeds United
Newcastle United versus West Ham United
Norwich City – Liverpool
Tottenham Hotspur versus Manchester City
Watford versus Aston Villa
Man City and Norwich are facing a difficult start
Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City are favorites for the Premier League title but face a test run of opening games with Spurs, Norwich, Arsenal, Leicester, Southampton, Chelsea and Liverpool as their first seven opponents.
Norwich, who made their first return after relegation to the Premier League in 2019-20, starts with Liverpool, Manchester City, Leicester and Arsenal.
The first North London derby between Spurs and Arsenal is set to take place on September 25, while the first Merseyside derby of the season will host Everton FC at Goodison Park on November 30.
United will face City in the first Manchester derby on November 11 at Old Trafford, while Liverpool will face Leeds and Manchester City face Leicester on Boxing Day.
The penultimate round of Premier League matches will take place on Sunday, May 15, with the FA Cup final one day early, with the season’s final day of the season scheduled for May 22.
The statistics – 11 in a row for City?
- Manchester City have won their first league game of the season in each of the past 10 seasons, collectively the longest such streak in the history of the elite alongside Aston Villa between 1891-92 and 1900-01.
- Brentford’s opening game against Arsenal will be their first Premier League game in 74 years since they lost 1-0 to the Gunners in May 1947. The only team with a longer gap between Premier League games is Bradford City, aged 77 , 1922-1999).
- Leeds have been without a win against Manchester United in their last 16 league visits to Old Trafford, a run that goes back to a 1-0 win in February 1981.
- Liverpool are unbeaten in their last 14 Premier League games against Norwich and the Canaries have won each of their last eight attempts in their first Premier League game of the season – a run dating back to 1992-93.
- Everton haven’t lost their opening game in any of their last nine Premier League games, while Southampton have won their opening game in just one of their last 14 Premier League games.
- West Ham have lost their first Premier League game in each of the past five seasons.
