Premier League champions Manchester City will start their title defence at Arsenal.
The 2018-19 fixtures, announced on Thursday morning, handed Pep Guardiola’s record-breaking team an Emirates Stadium opener on the weekend of August 11/12 – a match which will also mark the Premier League bow of the Gunners’ new Spanish boss Unai Emery.
City, who amassed 100 points and 106 goals en route to finishing 19 points clear of Manchester United in 2017/18, do not face another top six side until the trip to Liverpool in October. Games against newly-promoted trio Wolves, Cardiff and Fulham are part of a sequence which also includes Huddersfield, Newcastle and Brighton – the three teams who came up the previous season.
It is a similar story for neighbours United, who begin at home to Leicester. The 2017/18 runners-up have Tottenham at home in their third game, with Brighton, Burnley, Watford, Wolves, West Ham and Newcastle are their other early season opponents.
Liverpool’s start appears more challenging. After hosting West Ham, Jurgen Klopp’s men face Tottenham, Chelsea and Manchester City in a run which also includes Crystal Palace, Brighton, Leicester and Southampton.
Tottenham, who have until Friday to decide whether to return to Wembley next season while work on their new stadium is completed, have been given an away opener – starting their second successive campaign at Newcastle.
Spurs are due to move back to their rebuilt home on the site of White Hart Lane for the new season, with Fulham their first scheduled visitors on the weekend of August 18/19.
North London rivals Arsenal face a tough first two games without Arsene Wenger. After the Gunners host the champions, the team now managed by Emery are at Chelsea.
Antonio Conte’s Blues travel to Huddersfield on the opening day and after the trip to Arsenal come Newcastle, Bournemouth, Cardiff, West Ham, Liverpool and Southampton.
