Premier League 2021/22 fixtures: Manchester City start title defence at Tottenham Hotspur

Elsewhere, Manchester United host Leeds United, while Liverpool visit Norwich City on an interesting opening weekend.

Manchester City were the Premier League champions last season. (Image: Twitter/@premierleague)
By Karthik Raman | Jun 16, 2021 | 3 Min Read follow icon Follow Us

The Premier League fixture list for 2021/22 has been released, and the opening weekend kicks off with a bang. League champions Manchester City get their title defence under way at Tottenham Hotspur when the new season starts on the weekend of August 14. Pep Guardiola’s quest for a fourth league title in five years gets off to a tough start, with Spurs trying to rebound after a disappointing 2020/21 campaign. The fact that the match will be played in London, makes it trickier for Guardiola and his boys in the opening day of the new season.

Elsewhere, newly-promoted Norwich City welcome Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool to Carrow Road, play-off winners Brentford host Arsenal, and Champions League winners Chelsea have a London derby with Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Manchester United take on old foes Leeds United at Old Trafford. For Manchester United, it’s a difficult test but a perfect platform to get the ball rolling.

United and Leeds have been fierce rivals for a long period before Leeds got relegated to the lower division. Last season, Leeds won promotion to the top division and surprised the Premier League clubs with their fearless attacking football. They finished in the top half of the league table to wrap up an excellent season under Marcelo Bielsa.

It will not be an easy match for the Old Trafford outfit. They will have to be at the top of their game to get three points from that fixture. After enduring a disappointingly slow start to the last season, Ole’s boys will be hoping for a quick beginning in the upcoming campaign. The match against their old foes in the opening weekend is the perfect opportunity for the Red Devils to make a statement in the first week of the new season.

Meanwhile, Liverpool will be hoping to continue their impressive end to the current season. After having a rollercoaster campaign, the Reds squeezed their way into a top-four finish in the very end. Klopp’s boys will be looking to maintain the winning momentum. However, it is not easy to play a newly promoted team in the opening week. Norwich will be playing fearlessly, making life extremely difficult for the Anfield club.

Other big clashes

The following weekend, Arsenal will play Chelsea on August 21, before the Gunners prepare themselves for another difficult assignment. They travel to Manchester City and Chelsea face Liverpool at Anfield on August 28. The first Manchester derby will take place on November 6, with Man City visiting local rivals Man United. The return match of the derby will take place at the Etihad in March. It’s the start of a crucial stretch of games for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side.

United first play Man City away on March 5 before playing Tottenham at home on March 12. Then they play Liverpool away on March 19, Leicester at home on April 2, and Everton away on April 9. That period will be crucial to determine where Ole’s boys will be finishing at the end of the season. If they are on European duty during that time, the club’s burden will be exacerbated by the tight schedule.

Liverpool will play their rivals Man United at Old Trafford on October 23. Meanwhile, the north London derby between Arsenal and Tottenham is scheduled for September 25 at Emirates Stadium and January 15 at Tottenham. The Merseyside derbies between Liverpool and Everton are set to take place on November 30 at Goodison Park and April 23 at Anfield.

If Man United and Chelsea are still in the hunt for a title or top four race, then the last before the weekend could be a deciding factor. Chelsea travel to Old Trafford on the penultimate weekend before the season’s final round of games takes place on May 22.

The opening weekend games:

Brentford vs Arsenal

Burnley vs Brighton

Chelsea vs Crystal Palace

Everton vs Southampton

Leicester City vs Wolverhampton

Manchester United vs Leeds United

Newcastle United vs West Ham United

Norwich City vs Liverpool

Tottenham Hotspur vs Manchester City

Watford vs Aston Villa





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