The new Premier League fixtures are out, with Liverpool facing a difficult run-in if they are to compete for the title in 2025. Arne Slot, the new Liverpool manager, can look forward to a final five games of the season against Spurs, Chelsea, Arsenal, Brighton and Crystal Palace.
Elsewhere on the final day of next season a potential highlight is Manchester United v Aston Villa.
Long before then, the 2024-25 season will get under way with Manchester United at home against Fulham on Friday, Aug 16. The opening weekend also features Manchester City against Chelsea on Sunday afternoon.
The games selected for television on the opening weekend are Manchester United v Fulham, Ipswich Town v Liverpool, West Ham United v Aston Villa, Brentford v Crystal Palace, Chelsea v Manchester City and Leicester City v Tottenham Hotspur. See details below.
Arsenal, meanwhile, face a difficult opening five fixtures of the season, against Wolverhampton Wanderers, Aston Villa, Brighton & Hove Albion, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City.
What are the opening weekend fixtures?
Friday, August 16
Manchester United v Fulham (8pm - Sky Sports)
Saturday, August 17
Ipswich Town v Liverpool (12.30pm - TNT Sports)
Arsenal v Wolverhampton (3pm)
Everton v Brighton (3pm)
Newcastle United v Southampton (3pm)
Nottingham Forest v Bournemouth (3pm)
West Ham United v Aston Villa (5.30pm - Sky Sports)
Sunday, August 18
Brentford v Crystal Palace (2pm - Sky Sports)
Chelsea v Manchester City (4.30pm - Sky Sports)
Monday, August 19
Leicester City v Tottenham Hotspur (8pm - Sky Sports)
When are next season’s big local derbies?
Tottenham Hotspur v Arsenal: Sept 14
Everton v Liverpool: Dec 12
Manchester City v Manchester United: Dec 14
Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur: Jan 14
Liverpool v Everton: April 2
Manchester United v Manchester City: April 5
The games that will decide the Premier League title race
Manchester City
Opening day at Chelsea is a tasty starter, but Pep Guardiola will be looking at the run-in and salivating. The champions always sprint to the finish line, and of their final 11 games of 2024-25, only three sides finished in the top 10 last season. Aston Villa (4th), Manchester United (8th) and Crystal Palace (10th). The message to the rest? If City are top at the end of their tough February the title race is over.
Arsenal
Mikel Arteta’s most demanding fixtures come in packs with back-to-back league games against Spurs and Manchester City in September, and trips to Newcastle and Chelsea in November immediately following Liverpool’s trip to the Emirates. The Anfield meeting on May 10 will be one every Arsenal fan will be circling in the belief they can win the league on Merseyside again.
Liverpool
Liverpool have an uncanny ability to be paired with a newly promoted side on their opening day, Ipswich Town the sixth such opponent in eight seasons. Arne Slot’s first marquee fixture is at Manchester United on matchday three. The run is daunting with Spurs, Chelsea and Arsenal to play in late April/early May, but Slot will be thrilled if his side is still in the title hunt by then.
Aston Villa
Unai Emery will be analysing the fixtures around what is sure to be an emotional return to the Champions League. He should be reasonably happy with the early schedule because Villa are at home after the first three Euro match days. Then it gets tougher with trips to Anfield, Stamford Bridge and a midlands derby at Nottingham Forest directly after Euro midweeks, testing the squad’s strength in depth.
Tottenham Hotspur
Ange Postecoglou sprinted out the traps in his first season. If he does so again the timid end to last season will be forgotten because he must prepare for a north London derby on matchday four. That could be a blessing or a curse depending on the outcome. Postecoglou is among a handful of managers who you feel must hit the ground running, but it’s a tough first few months, also including trips to Newcastle and Manchester United.
Chelsea
The bad news for Enzo Maresca is he meets his idol on day one, champions Manchester City being the most demanding opponent possible. The good news is Chelsea’s next six games are those which – traditionally – they would be expected to win. Mauricio Pochettino never recovered from an indifferent start. Maresca will need plenty of points before a daunting October and November to ensure history doesn’t repeat itself.
Manchester United
Many will be circling the international break in mid-November as critical in determining if Sir Jim Ratcliffe was right to retain Erik ten Hag. Nobody is in greater need of a good start. Liverpool’s visit to Old Trafford in August is the perfect chance to set a positive tone. By the time Chelsea head to Manchester on Nov 2, the Ten Hag era will either be revitalised or taste like the same soup reheated.
The title run-in for last season’s top three
Man City’s five-match title run-in
April 26: Manchester City v Aston Villa
May 3: Manchester City v Wolverhampton
May 10: Southampton v Manchester City
May 18: Manchester City v Bournemouth
May 25: Fulham v Manchester City
Arsenal’s five-match title run-in
April 26: Arsenal v Crystal Palace
May 30: Arsenal v Bournemouth
May 10: Liverpool v Arsenal
May 18: Arsenal v Newcastle United
May 25: Southampton v Arsenal
Liverpool’s five-match title run-in
April 26: Liverpool v Tottenham Hotspur
May 3: Chelsea v Liverpool
May 10: Liverpool v Arsenal
May 18: Brighton v Liverpool
May 25: Liverpool v Crystal Palace
The Premier League Boxing Day fixtures in full
Thursday, December 26
Bournemouth v Crystal Palace
Arsenal v Ipswich Town
Brighton v Brentford
Chelsea v Fulham
Liverpool v Leicester City
Manchester City v Everton
Newcastle United v Aston Villa
Nottingham Forest v Tottenham Hotspur
Southampton v West Ham United
Wolverhampton v Manchester United