The Premier League fixtures for next season have been revealed and Leicester City will begin the defence of their title at away to Hull City on August 13th.
Claudio Ranieri’s side were the surprise package in football last season, confounding the bookies’ expectations by winning the title by ten points and they will be hoping for a positive start to this campaign against Steve Bruce’s newly-promoted side.
Jose Mourinho’s first appointment as Manchester United boss will be an away tie with Bournemouth while, on the blue side of Manchester, Pep Guardiola’s reign will begin at home to Sunderland. The duo will resume their El Clasico rivalry in the North of England for the first time at Old Trafford on 10th September.
Mourinho, meanwhile, will make his return to Stamford Bridge to play Chelsea on 22nd October.
Manchester United will then face Southampton at home and Hull City away before the first mouth-watering Manchester Derby of the season.
The Portuguese’s replacement on the blue side of on London, Antonio Conte, will begin his Chelsea revolution with a tricky London Derby at home to West Ham.
The stand-out meeting on the opening weekend though is, without question, the meeting of Arsenal and Liverpool at the Emirates. It’s a tough start to Jurgen Klopp’s first full season in charge at Anfield too, after the Arsenal clash his side face Burnley, Tottenham, Leicester and Chelsea before the end of September.
Liverpool have requested that the clash with Burnley, scheduled for Anfield on August 20th, be switched to Burnley’s Turf Moor because redevelopment work at Liverpool’s home stadium won’t be completed by this date.
Mauricio Pochettino’s Spurs side begin away to Ronald Koeman’s Everton, while Burnley, last season’s Championship winners, will begin life in the top flight at home to Swansea City.
Meanwhile, Middlesborough’s return to England’s top table begins with a glamour tie at Stoke City.
The season will come to a close on the 21st May next year.
The full list of Premier League fixtures can be found here.
Champions @LCFC begin their Premier League title defence at @HullCity
Here are your Matchweek 1 #PLfixtures... pic.twitter.com/rWw4Sk4MLv— Premier League (@premierleague) June 15, 2016
Liverpool fans take note that not only is it Arsenal away on the first they, you also face Spurs, Leicester and Chelsea in the first five games of the season.
