The English Premier League has released its fixture schedule for the upcoming 2020-21 season, which gets under way on September 12. Championship winners Leeds United face a daunting trip to Anfield on the opening weekend to face Premier League kings Liverpool in the most eye-catching tie of the opening round. Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds side are back in the big time after an absence of 16 years and a trip to Liverpool is the culmination of years of near-misses for the Elland Road club. The Premier League’s other newcomers, Fulham and West Bromwich Albion, face Arsenal and Leicester City respectively. Lack of Anfield crowd is the biggest plus point for Liverpool’s Premier League rivals next term Liverpool, who last season claimed a first league title in 30 years, have not lost a home game in the league since April 2017, and the Leeds opener is the first test in a tricky opening that sees them face Chelsea and FA Cup winners Arsenal to start the campaign. Both Manchester City and Manchester United will see their opening matches, against Aston Villa and Burnley respectively, rearranged with the Manchester clubs allowed extra time to recover from their European exertions at the end of the last campaign. Chelsea’s opening match against Brighton and Hove Albion and Wolverhampton Wanderers’ opener against Sheffield United were shifted to the Monday after the opening weekend to allow them the 30 days of rest the Premier League mandated for all teams still involved in European competition last season. Tottenham Hotspur will start out with a home match against Everton, while Newcastle United will travel to West Ham United and Crystal Palace will meet Southampton. English Premier League clubs could pay for banking on China cash The first encounter between the two favourites for the title, Liverpool and Man City, falls on November 7 at the Etihad Stadium. The return fixture will be on February 6, 2021.
