Premier League fixtures 2018-19: Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham and Man City’s first six matches
Unai Emery faces a baptism of fire at Arsenal but fixture list hands Manchester United and Liverpool chance to get off to quick starts
That glorious day is upon us folks. No, not the opening match of the World Cup, but the release of the 2018-19 Premier League fixtures.
Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal will all be hoping to challenge for the title next season, but some certainly have a more favourable start than others upon first glance at the fixture list.
It all gets underway on August 11 – here are the first six fixtures for each of last season’s top six:
Pep Guardiola’s side cruised to the title last season, and Arsenal aside, have an easy early run on paper with three of the promoted sides in their first six matches.
MANCHESTER CITY:
Arsenal (away)
Huddersfield (home)
Wolves (A)
Newcastle (H)
Fulham (H)
Cardiff (A)
Jose Mourinho won’t be too unhappy with the fixture list – Manchester United are at home first up against Leicester and only face one of the top six sides in their first six games, with Spurs coming to Old Trafford on match day three.
MANCHESTER UNITED:
Leicester (H)
Brighton (A)
Spurs (H)
Burnley (A)
Watford (A)
Wolves (H)
Spurs face a tricky start with three away days in the first four fixtures, with their new stadium not ready until match day five.
And what a way to raise the curtain, with Liverpool the first visitors. Mauricio Pochettino’s men will have a Wembley send-off in their second match against Premier League new boys Fulham.
TOTTENHAM:
Newcastle (A)
Fulham (H)
Man United (A)
Watford (A)
Liverpool) H)
Brighton (A)
Liverpool may have tasted bitter defeat in the Champions League final, but they face four teams who finished in the bottom half last season in their first six matches, with Jurgen Klopp’s side kicking things off at Anfield against West Ham.
LIVERPOOL:
West Ham (H)
Crystal Palace (A)
Brighton (H)
Leicester (A)
Spurs (A)
Southampton (H)
Antonio Conte still doesn’t know if he’ll be Chelsea manager next season, but the FA Cup winners will travel to Huddersfield on the opening day.
If the Italian does keep his job, he’ll fancy his chances of getting Chelsea right up the table early on.
CHELSEA:
Huddersfield (A)
Arsenal (H)
Newcastle (A)
Bournemouth (H)
Cardiff (H)
West Ham (A)
Unai Emery would be in his right mind to accuse the Premier League of burying bad news by waiting until the start of Russia 2018 to tell him he’s got Manchester City at home then Chelsea away first up for his first two matches as Arsenal manager.
It couldn’t get much harder for the former Paris Saint-Germain boss, who already had the unenviable task of replacing the legendary Arsene Wenger.
ARSENAL:
Man City (H)
Chelsea (A)
West Ham (H)
Cardiff (A)
Newcastle (A)
Everton (H)
